12 Must-Read Books - Biola University
12 Must-Read Books - Biola University
12 Must-Read Books - Biola University
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Fall 2006<br />
<strong>12</strong> <strong>Must</strong>-<strong>Read</strong> <strong>Books</strong><br />
RECOMMENDED BY BIOLA FACULTY<br />
Iran’s President Religious Liberty Bad Movies Student Contract
02 WHAT’S NEW<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
My Book<br />
Recommendation<br />
I<br />
f you have ever been to my office, you have noticed all the books that<br />
line my shelves. In fact, I ran out of wall space and had to build an<br />
annex outside of my office that houses hundreds more.<br />
Often when I have a visitor, they ask me if I have read them all<br />
and I reply, “Not all of them, but almost all of them.” The exclusions<br />
would be the multivolume commentaries where I haven’t gone<br />
through each page, but refer to them when I am working on a sermon<br />
or for my own curiosity.<br />
In this issue of <strong>Biola</strong> Connections, we have asked <strong>12</strong> faculty<br />
members to recommend one book from their disciplines of which all<br />
of our readers would benefit, and the editors asked me to do the same.<br />
This is a formidable task, as there are so many books that I could<br />
recommend and have recommended to various people at different<br />
stages of their lives. However, if I had to choose one author, it would be<br />
F.W. Boreham, who has written so many wonderful books and, of all his<br />
writings, the one that I use over and over again is The Luggage of Life. My<br />
father gave this book to me as a teenager, and I had no idea how much<br />
I would use it and how often I would share various parts of it.<br />
Perhaps the chapter that I use the most is called, “The Tireless<br />
Trudge.” In this chapter Boreham discusses “which is the most trying<br />
part of a long journey”? Is it the initial steps, the final stage or the<br />
middle part? He uses both The Pilgrim’s Progress and Isaiah 40:<strong>12</strong>-31 to<br />
illustrate his point. Another wonderful chapter in the book is “Our<br />
Highway Robberies,” where he shares several illustrations of people<br />
being robbed or facing calamitous events and, yet, having a perspective<br />
on the eternal.<br />
The book, originally published in 19<strong>12</strong>, has been reprinted by Kregel<br />
Publications and, if you can get a copy of it, I would urge you to do so. At<br />
least as I write this today, that would be my recommendation.<br />
CPresident<br />
CONTENTS<br />
FEA TURES<br />
10. Twelve <strong>Must</strong>-<strong>Read</strong> <strong>Books</strong>:<br />
Your Back-to-School<br />
<strong>Read</strong>ing List Recommended<br />
by <strong>Biola</strong> Faculty<br />
20. The Biggest Threat to<br />
Religious Liberty<br />
By Michael H. Koby (’88)
DEPA RTMENTS<br />
04. 1,000 WORDS<br />
06. READER MAIL<br />
You tell us.<br />
07. ASK AN EXPERT<br />
Jeff Morton (D.Miss. ’03) and Josh Lingel (M.A. ’00)<br />
explain the religious beliefs of Iran’s president.<br />
08. BIOLA BULLETIN<br />
Freshman Brittany McCombs sparks national freespeech<br />
debate, Talbot extends its reach, and more.<br />
09. NEWS BRIEFS<br />
AROUND CAMPUS<br />
22. Student Life<br />
23. In Print<br />
24. Continuing Ed<br />
25. Faculty News<br />
26. Development<br />
AROUND THE WORLD<br />
28. Misc.<br />
30. Alumni Files<br />
31. Alumni News<br />
33. <strong>Biola</strong>ns Up Close<br />
34. NEWS & NOTES<br />
Find out what old (and young) friends are up to!<br />
39. IN CONTEXT<br />
Dr. David Black sheds light on a misinterpreted<br />
Bible passage, John 21:15-17.<br />
<strong>Biola</strong> Connections is published quarterly by <strong>Biola</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s Department of Integrated Marketing<br />
Communications and is sent to alumni, parents, supporters and friends of the <strong>University</strong>. <strong>Biola</strong>’s mission is<br />
biblically centered education, scholarship and service – equipping men and women in mind and character to<br />
impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ.<br />
Send correspondence to: <strong>Biola</strong> Connections, 13800 <strong>Biola</strong> Avenue, La Mirada, CA 90639-0001, e-mail<br />
connections@biola.edu or call (562) 906-4516. For address changes, e-mail alumni@biola.edu or call<br />
Constituency Records at (562) 903-4774.<br />
Staff: Editor in Chief, Rob Westervelt; Managing Editor, Holly Pivec; Design, Dwayne Cogdill / Cognition<br />
Design; Copy Editor, Amy Leonhardt (’01); Editorial Board: Rick Bee (’79, M.A. ’90, Ph.D. ’01), Dwayne<br />
Cogdill, Adam Morris (’90, M.A. ’97, Ph.D. ’02), Irene Neller, Holly (Peters, ’99, M.A. ’05) Pivec, Rob<br />
Westervelt (M.A. ’97), Wesley K. Willmer<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
03
04<br />
1,000 WORDS<br />
PHOTO BY MICHAEL MUSSER
On Set<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Several <strong>Biola</strong>ns took part in an independent film — a comedy titled Growing Out — shot in<br />
<strong>Biola</strong>’s Warren Studio over the summer. The set was designed by Shari (Karstensen, ’01)<br />
Ratliff, whose husband, Graham, directed the film. Other alumni who participated were<br />
Andrew Wahlquist (’00) (production manager) and Tom McCarty (’96) (1st assistant<br />
camera and steadicam operator). Four students also helped: Robert Ferguson (2nd<br />
assistant director), Nate Udall (digital image technician), Melissa Cobb (2nd assistant<br />
camera) and Beth Avery (production assistant and intern).<br />
05
06 READER MAIL BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Too Culturally Sensitive<br />
I very much appreciated Holly Pivec’s piece, “The ‘D’ Word.” I found it objective and balanced. It seems<br />
to me that the emerging church movement has it right and wrong all at the same time. They are looking<br />
for “more” because they (the seekers of God) are not finding Jesus in the church. They say that there<br />
is too much doctrine and not enough action, but the problem is the doctrine is being heard but not done<br />
(James 1:22) much of the time, and it starts with each one of us spending time alone with God, in His<br />
Word, everyday. They seem to think that the church is not culturally sensitive enough. The problem in<br />
the American church, at least, is there is no difference between much of the “church” and the world. It<br />
is too culturally sensitive. We don’t need less doctrine or watered down doctrine, we need the real<br />
doctrine of being doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.<br />
Marriage Statistic Misleading<br />
I want to applaud your editorial staff for the<br />
unique service you render to alumni and other<br />
constituents through <strong>Biola</strong> Connections. The<br />
articles are well written, intensely interesting<br />
and timely. But the best thing about your<br />
excellent magazine is that it consistently deals<br />
with subjects that no other publications that<br />
I’m aware of are addressing. However, I would<br />
like to suggest that the oft-quoted statistic<br />
about the failure of Christian marriages is<br />
misleading. It may be true that as many<br />
Christian marriages as non-Christian marriages<br />
do fail. But we must keep in mind that more<br />
non-Christian couples are living together<br />
without the benefit of marriage than are their<br />
Christian counterparts, a statistic that is not<br />
factored into official marriage records. More<br />
often than not, these “pretend marriages” do<br />
not endure, but they are not recorded as<br />
divorces. I think we undermine the many<br />
advantages of Christian marriage when we quote<br />
the statistic without the above caveat.<br />
Ken Bemis (’54)<br />
Placentia, Calif.<br />
Alarming and Appalling<br />
As a survey of the state of doctrinal understanding<br />
in the church, your article “The ‘D’<br />
Marc Pinneo<br />
Tustin, Calif.<br />
Word” was both alarming and appalling. If we<br />
don’t pass on the historic doctrines of the<br />
faith, we don’t pass on the faith. Let’s not<br />
forget that we have been down this road<br />
before. When the higher critics threw out the<br />
miraculous because their pea brains could not<br />
take it in, mainstream churches began to treat<br />
the signs of Christ’s divinity as myths.<br />
Inexorably, Christ became just another great<br />
teacher, and all those stories became<br />
symbolic tales of moral uplift. The latest<br />
challenge to the Trinity could not have come<br />
about if the evangelical church had not<br />
neglected church history.<br />
Marita Vargas (’80)<br />
Napa, Calif.<br />
What Doctrine Fanatics Missed<br />
Thank you for your excellent article on the<br />
apparent growing disfavor with formal<br />
doctrine. The quotes and observations you<br />
chose are well taken. Having spent the<br />
majority of my adult life leaning toward the<br />
fundamentalist side of evangelicalism, I’ve<br />
observed for years the current rejection of<br />
“seminary” doctrinal statements the size of<br />
dictionaries. I took all those “right” classes at<br />
Bible college then spent 18 years in a church<br />
in the General Association of Regular Baptist<br />
Churches. At this point in my life, I honestly<br />
can’t remember most of the intellectual<br />
rabbit trails I got graded on; they just aren’t<br />
relevant to living a day at a time in the<br />
presence of Jesus. The church of which I’m<br />
now a member (and totally condemned by my<br />
Baptist acquaintances) states simply, “Loving<br />
God, Loving People” — the Great Commandment.<br />
Most of the “doctrine” fanatics have<br />
completely missed that one.<br />
Bob Edgar<br />
Monmouth, Ore.<br />
I Was Startled<br />
Today we received the summer edition of <strong>Biola</strong><br />
Connections. I was startled and dismayed to see<br />
such a clean, but homely, large face on the cover.<br />
We enjoyed the variety of thought-provoking<br />
articles in <strong>Biola</strong> Connections. But there must be a<br />
more attractive way to get our attention. On<br />
page 28 is a display of past <strong>Biola</strong> Connections, and<br />
I notice a lot of them have a lot of large faces on<br />
them, too. I plan to put this magazine face down<br />
on our reading table. Hopefully the next issue<br />
will have more eye appeal.<br />
Louise DeVries<br />
Seal Beach, Calif.<br />
T E L L U S W H A T Y O U T H I N K ! — E-MAIL: connections@biola.edu — MAIL: <strong>Read</strong>er Mail, <strong>Biola</strong> Connections, 13800 <strong>Biola</strong> Avenue, La Mirada, CA 90639<br />
FAX: (562) 906-4547 Opinions should be a maximum of 200 words and include full name, city and state, and class year (if applicable). They may be edited for length and clarity.
Most people know about world leaders’ concern<br />
over Iran’s nuclear program, but what many people<br />
don’t know is the role religion plays in Iranian<br />
president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s decision<br />
making. <strong>Biola</strong> Connections asked two experts on<br />
Islam, Jeff Morton (D.Miss. ’03) and Josh Lingel<br />
(M.A. ’00), to explain Ahmadinejad’s views.<br />
Explain Ahmadinejad’s religious beliefs.<br />
Ahmadinejad is a “Twelve-Imam Shia” (also<br />
known as a “Twelver”), the largest sect of Shia<br />
Islam and Iran’s state religion. Shia Muslims are<br />
a minority sect in Islam and are ignored by most<br />
Western academia and media. Yet, Shias remain<br />
influential, representing 10 to 15 percent of<br />
Muslims worldwide. They are the majority religious<br />
population in a number of countries<br />
including Iraq, Iran, Azerbaijan, Lebanon and<br />
Bahrain. In addition, major minority populations<br />
of Shias exist in other countries, including<br />
Pakistan, India, Turkey, Nigeria and China.<br />
Within the Twelver sect, there is great eschatological<br />
expectation related to the return of a<br />
messianic figure called the Mahdi. The Iranian<br />
president believes he is preparing the way for<br />
the Mahdi’s return. During most of his major<br />
speeches, Ahmadinejad refers to the Mahdi,<br />
including a UN speech in September 2005 when<br />
he shocked world leaders by using his platform,<br />
not to allay their fears over his nuclear program,<br />
but to preach about Iran’s apocalyptic struggle<br />
against the West and to pray for the Mahdi’s<br />
return. Later, he claimed an aura of light surrounded<br />
him during the speech and that the<br />
world leaders appeared spellbound by his message.<br />
But the world leaders said their astonished<br />
faces didn’t indicate openness, but alarm.<br />
Who is the “Mahdi” and<br />
what is a “Twelver”?<br />
Twelvers believe the Mahdi is the <strong>12</strong>th Imam<br />
(Shia leader) in succession after the first Imam,<br />
Ali (Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law).<br />
According to a popular tradition, the <strong>12</strong>th Imam,<br />
Abul Qasim Muhammad, was born to the 11th<br />
Imam in 868 A.D. The Muslim leaders were not<br />
aware of his birth, however, so when the 11th<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 ASK AN EXPERT 07<br />
What Should Christians Know About the Religious<br />
Views of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?<br />
The religious views of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which aren’t widely known,<br />
play a major role in his policy making.<br />
Imam died, his uncle, Ja’far, became the official<br />
<strong>12</strong>th Imam. But when Ja’far went to recite the<br />
funeral prayers for the deceased 11th Imam, a<br />
young boy came forward — Abul Qasim<br />
Muhammad. When asked who the boy was,<br />
Ja’far claimed he didn’t know. From that time<br />
on, the boy disappeared into a well and went into<br />
“occultation” (hiding) from his enemies. Many<br />
Shias believe he is alive to this day, his life having<br />
been miraculously prolonged by God. He has<br />
remained hidden, however, until an appointed<br />
time. Shias believe the <strong>12</strong>th Imam, or the Mahdi,<br />
is the Lord of the Age and is sovereign over the<br />
affairs of men. Further, he will return from the<br />
heavens shortly before the Day of Judgment with<br />
Jesus behind him, leading the righteous in a<br />
battle to defeat his enemies. Then he will restore<br />
Sharia (Islamic law). Faithful Shias pray for his<br />
return near the “Well of the Occultation” at a<br />
mosque in the village of Jamkaran.<br />
Why do Ahmadinejad’s<br />
beliefs concern world leaders?<br />
World leaders believe Ahmadinejad is linked to<br />
a secretive Iranian group called the “Hojjatieh<br />
Society,” which was banned by Ayatollah<br />
Khomeini in the early 1980s. The society<br />
believes the Mahdi’s return can be hastened by<br />
the creation of chaos on earth. (According to<br />
Shia prophecies, an apocalyptic scenario will<br />
precede the return of the Mahdi.) This is a<br />
reason world leaders fear nuclear weapons in<br />
the hands of Ahmadinejad, who has openly<br />
stated that Israel must be “wiped off the<br />
map.” Some world leaders have speculated<br />
that Ahmadinejad’s defiance of world leaders<br />
is intended to provoke a war to speed up the<br />
Mahdi’s return, according to a Jan. 14 article<br />
published in the (U.K.) Telegraph.<br />
Jeff Morton (D.Miss.’03)<br />
and Josh Lingel (M.A.’00)<br />
are adjunct professors at <strong>Biola</strong> teaching<br />
in the field of Islamic studies. Morton<br />
teaches courses in the School of Intercultural<br />
Studies. He has a doctorate in<br />
missiology from <strong>Biola</strong>. Lingel teaches in<br />
the biblical studies department, M.A.<br />
Christian Apologetics, and Talbot<br />
School of Theology. He has a master’s<br />
degree in philosophy of religion and<br />
ethics from Talbot and a second postgraduate<br />
degree in “Islamic History: Islamic<br />
Societies and Cultures” from the School of Oriental<br />
and African Studies at the <strong>University</strong> of London.<br />
UPI Photo / Mohammad Kheirkhah
08 BIOLA BULLETIN BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Freshman Brittany McCombs<br />
Sparks National Free-Speech Debate<br />
Freshman Brittany McCombs made several media appearances after her<br />
controversial graduation speech in June.<br />
Brittany McCombs, an incoming freshmen<br />
at <strong>Biola</strong> this fall, found herself at the<br />
center of a national media storm after<br />
her graduation at Foothill High School<br />
in Clark County, Nev., in June.<br />
The debate started when McCombs, who<br />
was a graduating valedictorian of her class, made<br />
references to God and Christ in her speech.<br />
Previously, the school had previewed the<br />
speech in written form and edited out references<br />
to her Christian faith. McCombs agreed to<br />
the revisions, but later decided to include them<br />
in her speech. When school officials realized she<br />
was giving the unedited speech, they cut the<br />
sound on her microphone, receiving angry boos<br />
from the crowd of 400 graduates and their families.<br />
The local news stations immediately<br />
received a number of complaints from attendees<br />
who were angry that McCombs wasn’t<br />
allowed to finish her speech.<br />
News of the incident soon swept the country<br />
in a flurry of heated debate over issues of free<br />
speech and the separation of church and state.<br />
The story was covered by a number of major<br />
media outlets who interviewed McCombs,<br />
including FOX News’ “Hannity & Colmes,”<br />
MSNBC’s “The Today Show” and “Scarborough<br />
Country,” and the Associated Press.<br />
McCombs told <strong>Biola</strong> Connections that she<br />
had no idea the amount of controversy her<br />
speech would spark. She said she regretted<br />
lying to school officials, saying she felt turmoil<br />
as she wrestled with her decision to give<br />
the original speech.<br />
“I wanted to tell my classmates about the<br />
impact that Christ had on my life,” she said.<br />
“He’s been the source of all of my success. It was<br />
like they were telling me that I couldn’t say how<br />
my mother impacted me because her name is<br />
too offensive.”<br />
Gary Peck, the executive director of the<br />
American Civil Liberties Union in Nevada,<br />
spoke with <strong>Biola</strong> Connections, defending the<br />
actions of the school officials. “It is inappropriate<br />
to be using the graduation podium as a<br />
pulpit,” Peck said. “It was a school-sponsored<br />
event, and she was plainly proselytizing. She<br />
was expressing how the people in the audience<br />
should be relating to God.”<br />
Kevin Lewis, an assistant professor of<br />
theology and law at <strong>Biola</strong>’s seminary, Talbot<br />
School of Theology, disagrees with Peck, say-<br />
ing, “The school was clearly not endorsing<br />
her religious speech. She was not an official<br />
representative of the school. She was simply<br />
chosen to give a commencement address<br />
because she was a class valedictorian. Therefore,<br />
to deny Brittany the right to express her<br />
viewpoint — that Jesus Christ is the key to<br />
success in life — was a violation of her<br />
inalienable constitutional rights.”<br />
McCombs told <strong>Biola</strong> Connections that she<br />
has received overwhelming support from people<br />
all over the country, including atheists, who<br />
believe her rights to free speech were violated.<br />
McCombs’ attorneys are reviewing her case to<br />
determine if they will take further legal action.<br />
McCombs was accepted into <strong>Biola</strong>’s<br />
Torrey Honors Institute and plans to major in<br />
journalism.<br />
“<strong>Biola</strong> really impressed me,” she said,<br />
adding that she was especially impressed with<br />
the <strong>University</strong>’s commitment to truth. “This<br />
school is all about seeking truth and not being<br />
afraid of seeking answers because it believes<br />
that, in the end, the truth will lead to Christ,”<br />
McCombs said. — Joel Bergman<br />
Talbot Extends Its Reach<br />
<strong>Biola</strong>’s seminary, Talbot School of Theology,<br />
will soon begin offering programs in Kiev,<br />
Ukraine, and Manhattan, New York.<br />
Next March, a master of arts degree in biblical<br />
and theological studies will be offered in<br />
Kiev, in partnership with Kiev Theological
Seminary. Classes will be taught by faculty from<br />
Talbot’s main campus and from Kiev Theological<br />
Seminary along with newly hired faculty<br />
from European countries.<br />
The decision to open the extension site<br />
was made after Talbot officials learned of<br />
Kiev’s need for western-style biblical training<br />
for pastors, according to David Miller,<br />
<strong>Biola</strong>’s associate director of graduate admissions.<br />
The classes, however, will be adapted to<br />
the Ukrainian culture, Miller said. The “Cults<br />
of America” class, for example — which is a<br />
required class on Talbot’s main campus — will<br />
be revamped to focus on cults that are growing<br />
in Ukraine, like Mormonism. Also,<br />
apologetics issues that are addressed in the<br />
curriculum will be relevant to Ukrainian culture,<br />
like the prevalence of superstition in<br />
local villages. Miller expects 15 to 20 students<br />
during the program’s first term.<br />
As soon as Talbot receives approval from<br />
the State of New York, it plans to open another<br />
extension site in Manhattan, offering a<br />
master of divinity in Messianic Jewish studies.<br />
Offered in partnership with Chosen<br />
People Ministries, this degree will be tailored<br />
for Messianic Jewish Christians and those<br />
who reach out to Jewish people, according to<br />
Miller. About 15 to 20 students are expected<br />
for the first term, and the classes will be<br />
taught by Talbot faculty and faculty from<br />
Chosen People Ministries.<br />
Talbot’s enrollment has grown over 19 percent<br />
since 2003.<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 NEWS BRIEFS 09<br />
Alumnus Cast in<br />
Pirates of the Caribbean<br />
Jay Tapaoan (’03) spent a month on<br />
the Caribbean island of Dominica<br />
acting the part of a cannibal for the<br />
filming of Pirates of the Caribbean:<br />
Dead Man’s Chest. He auditioned for the<br />
role after learning that Walt Disney Studios<br />
was seeking young actors who looked like<br />
Pacific Islanders. Tapaoan, who majored in<br />
film/television/radio/journalism at <strong>Biola</strong>,<br />
said his acting and improvisational experience<br />
while he was a student helped land<br />
him the role. Each day, he had to arrive at<br />
the set at 3 a.m. to have four hours of makeup<br />
applied. Tapaoan said it was an “amazing<br />
experience” to work with such talented<br />
people, including Johnny Depp. “I was just<br />
a sponge during those days, just trying to<br />
soak up anything I could from these amazing<br />
actors,” he said. Watch an interview with<br />
Tapaoan online (www.biola.edu).<br />
Applications Reach Record High<br />
<strong>Biola</strong> received another record year of applications<br />
in 2006, a total of 4,133, up from<br />
3,875 in 2005 — a 6.7 percent increase.<br />
Since three years ago, applications to <strong>Biola</strong><br />
have increased 23 percent (738 applications).<br />
The undergraduate programs<br />
received 199 more applications this year,<br />
and the graduate programs received 56<br />
more applications. The average high<br />
school GPA of incoming freshmen in 2005<br />
was 3.53 and the average SAT was 1<strong>12</strong>5.<br />
<strong>Biola</strong> Offers Classes in the OC<br />
This fall, <strong>Biola</strong> opened an extension site in<br />
Orange County, Calif., offering three adult<br />
degree programs in <strong>Biola</strong>’s School of<br />
Professional Studies: a B.A. in psychology,<br />
a B.S. in organizational leadership and an<br />
M.A. in organizational leadership. It also<br />
offers Bible electives. The site is located at<br />
24422 Avenida de la Carlota in Laguna Hills.<br />
Other <strong>Biola</strong> sites are located in Chino,<br />
Inglewood, San Bernardino, San Diego and<br />
Thousand Oaks. For more information, call<br />
(562) 903-47<strong>12</strong>.<br />
Alumnae Recognized<br />
in Photography Contest<br />
Two art students who graduated this past<br />
spring, Marilyn Foute and Jennifer Yount,<br />
were finalists in Photographer Forum<br />
Magazine’s “26th Annual College Photography<br />
Contest.” Their photos — a color<br />
portrait by Foute and a black-and-white<br />
landscape by Yount — were published in<br />
the Best of College Photography Annual<br />
2006. Over 28,000 photos were entered in<br />
the contest. See photos on page 38.
10 BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Twelve <strong>Must</strong> -<br />
RECOMMENDED BY BIOLA FACULTY<br />
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “A man is known by the books he reads.” People are always seeking sugges-<br />
tions on what to read. With a new school year starting, what better time to give <strong>Biola</strong> Connections readers book<br />
recommendations? ● Twelve professors from <strong>Biola</strong>’s six schools gave us their top picks — one book per month.
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 11<br />
<strong>Read</strong> <strong>Books</strong><br />
The professors were given a tough task: Of all the books you’ve read and assigned, choose just one related to<br />
your discipline that you think is both valuable and accessible. The reasons for their selections varied — some<br />
chose books to stretch and challenge readers, some to provide insight, and others to equip and develop them — pro-<br />
fessionally, personally and spiritually. ● All their choices were reflections of themselves. ● Now, go hit the books!
<strong>12</strong> BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Michael Musser<br />
Marc Apkarian, Ph.D.<br />
Recently read: Dinner With a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory<br />
A Short History of Renaissance and Reformation Europe: Dances over Fire and<br />
Water (Prentice Hall) by Jonathan Zophy<br />
Leland Edward Wilshire, Ph.D., Professor of History<br />
About Wilshire: Wilshire became fascinated with Renaissance and<br />
Reformation history in college one semester when he took an integrative<br />
course in which all his classes tied into these two movements, including art, music, literature,<br />
history and theology. Wilshire — who believes there is a strand of anti-intellectualism in evangelicalism<br />
— is passionate about conveying to his students that scholarship, including historical<br />
studies, can glorify Christ. He is writing a book titled Human Voices and Institutional Structures in<br />
Thirteenth-Century England.<br />
Why this book? The book combines scholarship with excitement. By the metaphor “dances,”<br />
Zophy means to convey that the leading individuals of this era soar above earlier periods. They seem<br />
almost superhuman in their artistic, intellectual and religious achievements. By the metaphors<br />
“fire” and “water,” Zophy wants to bring out the horrific aspects of the period: war, famine, epidemics,<br />
poverty, illiteracy and the torture and public executions of heretics and Anabaptists. The<br />
book also understands the power of religious conversion. For example, you cannot explain Luther<br />
unless you understand his experience of grace. Women artists such as Sofonisba Anguissola and<br />
Artemisia Gentileschi are given a place with Titian and Raphael. It is supplemented by a companion<br />
book of primary source readings, including Dante, Erasmus, Luther, Zwingli and Calvin.<br />
Advice to readers: Become so interested in a subject that you just have to read about it.<br />
Simple Health: Easy and Inexpensive Things You Can Do To Improve Your Health<br />
(Siloam Press) by David Biebel and Harold Koenig<br />
Marc Apkarian, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, Health and<br />
Physical Education<br />
About Apkarian: Apkarian is an advocate for holistic health development that<br />
results from Christian perspectives, emphasizing spirit, mind and body. His academic<br />
and professional background is in exercise physiology, the scientific study<br />
of how exercise affects the human body acutely (short term) and chronically (long term). He wrote his<br />
Ph.D. dissertation about the immediate effects of weight lifting on blood pressure and heart rate, titled<br />
“Continuous Assessment Of Blood Pressure During Weight Lifting Using Arterial Tonometry.”<br />
Why this book? It’s simple to understand, practical to apply and sound in its rationale. Simple<br />
Health does a terrific job of addressing the role of multiple factors in healthy living, including sense<br />
of humor, creativity, stress management, physical exercise and rest, proper diet, nurturing of relationships,<br />
selflessness, and living according to your Creator’s purpose for your life. Every time I<br />
thumb through it, I seem to encounter yet one more valuable point to consider about health.<br />
One caution: I have no glaring warnings, but readers who enjoy dissecting spiritual minutia<br />
may have some philosophical departures from certain perspectives of the authors. In my opinion,<br />
that may arise largely due to matters of semantics, as the overall spirit of the book in promoting<br />
“well-rounded” health is excellent.<br />
Advice for students: Be intentional. To get anywhere in life — with school, a career, health or even to experience spiritual growth — intentionality<br />
has to be there.<br />
Fun facts: I prefer reading outdoors. Also, I’d like to write a book about the health benefits of resistance training.<br />
History<br />
Health<br />
Leland Edward Wilshire, Ph.D.<br />
Advice to students: I start each semester with Philippians 1:6. Many students do not realize that God is perfecting them, God is working in them,<br />
and that they are a good work, valuable and precious.<br />
Fun facts: My favorite place to read is a large, red chair in my living room. My favorite historical character is Robert Grosseteste, a brilliant scientist<br />
and a very spiritual bishop of Lincoln, England, in the 13th century.<br />
Michael Musser<br />
Louis Felix
Marla Campbell, Ph.D.<br />
Missions and Evangelism<br />
The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West … Again (Abingdon Press) by George Hunter, III<br />
Marla Campbell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 13<br />
About Campbell: Campbell recently completed a sabbatical of research on returning Europe to its spiritual roots. She also<br />
helped establish a spiritual retreat center in Tarragona, Spain. Campbell said God called her to teach when she was eight years<br />
old, when she gave her life to Christ. Later, she felt an additional calling to missions while she was reading Isaiah 6:8-9 — the<br />
famous passage where God asks who He can send and Isaiah volunteers. Campbell has written several books, including a book<br />
in progress that has the working titles, Teaching for Transformation or Teaching for Change, co-authored with Judith Lingenfelter,<br />
a <strong>Biola</strong> professor emeritus.<br />
Why this book? It shows the similarity of the early centuries of Christianity in pagan Europe to the quest for evangelism in our<br />
current neopagan Western society. It’s very readable and gives an intriguing connection to then and now, along with poignant<br />
suggestions for current evangelism, mentorship and spiritual formation. The Lord truly used this book to propel me into my<br />
travel, interviews and research in Western Europe over the past three years.<br />
Recently read: Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, and various books related to Celtic<br />
Christianity<br />
Advice to readers: We all do exactly what we’re intentional about and make time for. Set aside doable time allotments in your<br />
schedule to read. Don’t attempt War and Peace for an evening of relaxing reading!<br />
Advice to students: Be intentional. Make a God-directed plan. Don’t let the secular, frenetic pace dictate what you will do or<br />
squeeze you into a mold that God has not ordained for your life. But, to know God’s plan for you, you have to sit at His feet regularly<br />
and listen.<br />
Fun facts: I love to read on airplanes, especially John Grisham novels. Other favorite places are my prayer corner at home in<br />
my overstuffed chair and the hammock in my backyard.
14 BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Louis Felix<br />
Lisa Swain, M.A.<br />
Pop Culture<br />
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (Back Bay <strong>Books</strong>) by Malcolm Gladwell<br />
Lisa Swain, M.A., Associate Professor of Mass Communication<br />
About Swain: Swain has worked in the entertainment industry for the past 15 years as a production supervisor on film projects<br />
ranging in budget from $15 million to $150 million. Her credits include the commercially successful movies Big Fish, Anger<br />
Management, America’s Sweethearts, Face/Off, Varsity Blues and Mars Attacks! She also worked in dramatic television as the<br />
production coordinator on Amblin Entertainment’s SeaQuest and in the sitcom world on the Family Channel’s Big Brother Jake.<br />
Why this book? It’s a fascinating book that derives commonsense conclusions from a cross-section of studies about what<br />
motivates people in their decision-making process. One study that really impacted me looked at the motivation behind certain<br />
behavioral choices made by a group of seminary students. The study found we are more likely to make choices based on things<br />
like time availability than on our convictions. That really resonated with me. Ultimately, I quit my time-consuming career in<br />
the film industry to devote myself to teaching.<br />
Advice to readers: I don’t look at reading as something I have to find time to do. I see it as a lifeline to keep ideas alive<br />
and churning in my mind.<br />
Recently read: A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren, The Rape of the Masters by Roger Kimball and Sophie’s Choice by<br />
William Styron<br />
Fun facts: When writing, I have to stew things over until I can’t stand it. Then I’ll write non-stop. I shop at Skylight<br />
<strong>Books</strong> in Los Angeles.
Louis Felix<br />
Michael Musser<br />
Technology<br />
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century (Farrar, Straus<br />
and Giroux) by Thomas Friedman<br />
David Bourgeois, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Information Systems<br />
About Bourgeois: Bourgeois came to <strong>Biola</strong> after 15 years in the information<br />
technology industry because he wanted to use his skills in professional<br />
Christian ministry. He focuses on how information systems — i.e., computer<br />
technology — can be used to make organizations more effective.<br />
Bourgeois would like to write a book on the use of technology to empower churches and missions,<br />
and this topic is a focus of a campus club he started last year, called the “<strong>Biola</strong> Information<br />
Technology Society” (BITS).<br />
Why this book? I teach business students about how technology is impacting the world, and<br />
this book neatly summarizes many of those changes. It is important to understand not just<br />
how to use technology, but also to understand the bigger picture — the context of how it is<br />
impacting things on a larger scale. The key point is that our world has changed from one<br />
where nations were centers of power to one where organizations — and now individuals —<br />
have power as never before.<br />
One caution: The author is so enamored with how our world is changing that he does not provide<br />
insight into the negative impacts that these changes are having on what God cares about<br />
most — people.<br />
Recently read: Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders<br />
Any library fines? Sore subject. But librarians are pretty nice to faculty on this count.<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 15<br />
Fun facts: I usually read three books at a time: one for my spiritual life, one for my academic or professional life, and one for fun. I read during<br />
workouts and have been known to stay up all hours of the night finishing a good book. But I don’t have patience for books that don’t “grab” me.<br />
Amy Obrist, Ph.D.<br />
Literature<br />
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky<br />
David Bourgeois, Ph.D.<br />
Amy Obrist, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English<br />
About Obrist: Obrist specializes in Russian language and literature, which<br />
evolved from a passionate interest in foreign languages since she first<br />
opened her high school German book. She became hooked on Russian literature<br />
after studying Dostoevsky and the Cold War. She is especially interested<br />
in the potential of literature to transform a person spiritually.<br />
Why this book? It reminded me that I cared about my soul at a time when I had forgotten.<br />
I also saw from this book that my own answers to spiritual questions matter to God, and that<br />
God and heaven mattered to me. Ultimately, this book made me realize that faith is for<br />
thinking people, too.<br />
One caution: Perhaps one should be aware that it is not an easy read, even out of sheer length.<br />
Advice to students: Study abroad. Spend as much time as you can learning about people different<br />
from yourself. Don’t try to graduate early by rushing through without the so-called<br />
“extras.” Education is not about the amassing of a certain number of credit units leading to a<br />
degree. It is time spent investigating interests that God has given you. If you are so inclined and<br />
gifted, then please go to graduate school. The world could use a lot more smart, analytical and<br />
thoughtful Christians.<br />
Fun facts: I read compulsively. I prioritize reading over things that other people tend to put first. My house is a wreck, but at least the books are right<br />
there. They are on shelves in every room, stacked in piles next to the shelves, and stacked in piles on other surfaces not meant for them. There is a<br />
shortish stack in each car and boxes in my garage and in storage.
16 BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Louis Felix<br />
Brad Christerson, Ph.D.<br />
Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality (Collins) by Henry<br />
Cloud<br />
Daniel Maltby, Ph.D., Professor of Management and Executive Leadership,<br />
Director of the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership Program<br />
About Maltby: Maltby is convinced that there are better ways to lead and<br />
motivate people than most think. He gets excited about leadership development<br />
and helping to raise the leadership competence of working professionals.<br />
Maltby has held senior management positions in the private sector and in international<br />
Christian organizations and has 15 years management consulting experience, including<br />
serving Fortune 500 firms. He also co-founded two Christian leadership organizations, the<br />
National Network of Youth Ministries, which now has 15,000 members, and High Ground<br />
Associates, a networking association for Christian executives.<br />
Why this book? It speaks to the issue of character in our lives, which is a big issue, not only in<br />
business, but in every aspect of our lives. Using Scripture, Cloud provides a new paradigm for<br />
understanding what character is all about and how each of us can self-assess our own character.<br />
He suggests that most of the evangelical teaching on character today focuses on moral issues and<br />
tends to overlook other dimensions, such as building healthy relationships, pursuing truth, the<br />
responsibility for self-development and more.<br />
Recently read: Management Challenges for the 21 st Century by Peter Drucker<br />
Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving From Affluence to Generosity<br />
(W Publishing Group) by Ronald Sider<br />
Brad Christerson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology<br />
About Christerson: Christerson took his first sociology course while a<br />
junior in college and was shocked to realize the amount of suffering and<br />
injustice in the world — most of which, he said, was invisible to him as a<br />
comfortable, middle-class, suburban American. He is writing a book on<br />
racial and ethnic differences in the way American teenagers experience life, with <strong>Biola</strong> colleague<br />
Richard Flory and Korie Edwards at Ohio State <strong>University</strong>. He is co-author of Against All Odds:<br />
The Struggle for Racial Integration in Religious Organizations (NYU Press).<br />
Why this book? Roughly one out of six people on earth are poor, hungry and barely surviving.<br />
This book shows not only that we wealthy American Christians are failing to respond to this crisis,<br />
but also that we are part of the problem. It made me question my entire way of life — the way<br />
I live, spend money, my politics, and my vision of the good life.<br />
One caution: The author’s solutions to alleviating suffering may or may not be viable. He’s a<br />
theologian, not an expert in economic development.<br />
Advice to readers: Turn off the TV and get off the Internet. You’ll be amazed at how much time<br />
you’ll have.<br />
Advice to students: Let God lead you — don’t over-plan your life. He has things in mind for you that you can’t imagine or plan yourself right now.<br />
Fun facts: I can’t stand reading my own writing. I have to have others critique it because I get too bored to read it carefully myself. Also, I use weird<br />
things for bookmarks. I’ve used rocks, blades of grass, dental floss. Once I used a dirty sock — my wife was horrified.<br />
Leadership<br />
Social Justice Louis<br />
Daniel Maltby, Ph.D.<br />
Advice to students: Know thyself. We can’t give to God what we haven’t first possessed ourselves. Seek to understand what drives you, give that ability<br />
to God, and He will multiply your life with good things.<br />
Fun facts: I find time to read very early in the morning, and I also keep “library days,” when I spend at least part of a day in the library, away from<br />
distractions. Before starting a new book, I like to page through all the chapters to get a sense of where the author is going.<br />
Felix
Steve Rundle, Ph.D.<br />
Current Issues<br />
Why the Rest Hates the West: Understanding the Roots of Global Rage (IVP) by Meic Pearse<br />
Steven Rundle, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 17<br />
About Rundle: Rundle’s main focus as an economist is on the intersection between international economics and world missions.<br />
He believes Christian businesspeople will be the vanguard of the missionary movement in the 21st century. Rundle is<br />
particularly interested in developing countries and is writing a book that looks at globalization from a Christian perspective. He<br />
is co-author of Great Commission Companies: The Emerging Role of Business in Missions (IVP) with <strong>Biola</strong> professor Tom Steffen.<br />
Why this book? It has made me acutely aware of how different and threatening our Western “values” are to the rest of the<br />
world. Take “tolerance,” for example. This once meant tolerating people from different subcultures who have different ideas<br />
about the truth. Today it implies moral relativism and an abdication of truth claims. People in the non-Western world who are<br />
proud of their cultures feel threatened by what they perceive as pressure to conform to Western “values” like these. It’s a mustread<br />
for those who intend to work alongside people from other cultures.<br />
Recently read: The End of Poverty by Jeffery Sachs, The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman and Marley & Me by John Grogan<br />
Advice to readers: Turn off your TV! My wife works in the medical field, and she says when it comes to people in their “Golden<br />
Years,” it’s easy to tell the difference between those who read regularly and those who don’t. <strong>Read</strong>ing keeps the mind sharp and<br />
keeps conversations interesting. So, whatever it takes, keep reading!<br />
Fun Facts: I read up to six books at a time and assign 10 to <strong>12</strong> books to my students per school year. My favorite place to read is<br />
my porch, and I prefer to go to the mountains or a hotel for a long weekend when I write. If possible, I bring my espresso<br />
machine so I won’t have to leave the room for my latte fix.
18 BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Steve Porter, Ph.D.<br />
Spiritual Formation<br />
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ (NavPress) by Dallas Willard<br />
Steven Porter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Theology and Philosophy<br />
About Porter: Porter believes that to consistently experience spiritual transformation, Christians must have a clear understanding<br />
of the dynamics of the Spirit’s transforming work. He said teaching about this process is a dream come true for him.<br />
He’s beginning to write a book on an integrative theology of sanctification. He also has a book due out in December: Restoring<br />
the Foundations of Epistemic Justification: A Direct Realist and Conceptualist Theory of Foundationalism (Lexington <strong>Books</strong>).<br />
Why this book? It almost goes without saying that there is much confusion in evangelicalism on how to live life as a flourishing<br />
follower of Jesus. Some go from one “solution” to the next, others keep themselves busy “working for the Lord,” while still<br />
others end up a bit apathetic to it all. Willard cuts through this contemporary situation by offering a penetrating diagnosis and<br />
prescription for our spiritual lives. You will find no superficial quick fixes or pat answers — each sentence is loaded with knowledge<br />
and depth of insight. The Lord has greatly used this book in my own formation in Christ — whether that is in becoming<br />
more kind to my wife and son or becoming more patient with the guy who cuts me off on the freeway.<br />
One caution: This is not light reading, so prepare yourself for an intense time of study. Although I am unaware of any major<br />
disagreements I have with the book, we should always read critically.<br />
Recently read: The Contented Soul: The Art of Savoring Life by Lisa Graham McMinn<br />
Advice to students: I find my students are pretty hard on themselves when it comes to their spiritual lives, relationships with<br />
others, vocational plans, etc. I encourage them to give themselves more space and time to grow and grace when they fail.<br />
Fun facts: I assign over 30 books to my students in a school year, and I, myself, usually have about seven or eight books going<br />
at once. But I will be lucky to finish half of those, so I try to schedule time in my day planner for reading. My favorite bookstore<br />
is Acres of <strong>Books</strong> in Long Beach.
Louis Felix<br />
Theology<br />
Louis Felix<br />
He Shines In All That’s Fair: Culture and Common Grace (Wm. B. Eerdmans)<br />
by Richard Mouw<br />
Richard Langer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and<br />
Theological Integration<br />
About Langer: Langer became interested in the discipline of theological<br />
integration during 20 years of pastoral ministry, as he sought to make the<br />
Scriptures and Christian faith relevant to the daily lives of the members of<br />
his church in Redlands, Calif. He and several faculty members are developing integration seminars<br />
to help students integrate their faith with their majors.<br />
Why this book? It contains a delightful discussion of the much-neglected doctrine of<br />
common grace — the grace God extends to all people, regardless of their faith or lack of<br />
faith in Christ. By common grace, God not only provides for our physical needs by sending<br />
“rain on the just and the unjust alike” and providing “seed to the sower and bread for<br />
food,” but He also gives us the gifts of human language, culture and government. Plus, it<br />
should be on everyone’s reading list because it actually draws out coherent, practical<br />
implications from the debate between infralapsarianism and supralapsarianism (the<br />
logical order in God’s mind concerning election to salvation)!<br />
One caution: As we deepen our appreciation of common grace, it is easy to neglect the<br />
ministry of saving grace. Such a tension should be creative and dynamic when both are<br />
firmly grasped; however, we all too often favor one at the expense of the other. Mouw’s book is certainly not to be faulted for this, but it is a<br />
danger that accompanies the topic.<br />
Fun facts: Whenever I go through Portland, Ore., I have to stop at Powell’s <strong>Books</strong>tore. It is the most bizarre hodgepodge of buildings you will ever<br />
see, but has a great selection. Also, I had my television set “broken” so it doesn’t get reception. Only watching DVDs minimizes my amount of TV<br />
watching, creating more time for reading.<br />
Todd Hall, Ph.D.<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 19<br />
Psychology<br />
Richard Langer, Ph.D.<br />
Becoming Attached: First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to<br />
Love (Oxford <strong>University</strong> Press) by Robert Karen<br />
Todd Hall, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology<br />
About Hall: Hall said he entered the field of psychology because he<br />
wanted to be involved in ministry since the church had a big impact on<br />
him growing up. Early on in college, he began to see that psychology<br />
could provide tools for understanding spiritual growth. He co-edited a<br />
book titled Spiritual Formation, Counseling, and Psychotherapy (Nova Science Publishers).<br />
He is writing another book, co-authored with <strong>Biola</strong> professor John Coe, titled Christianity<br />
and Psychology: Reclaiming the Self for the Spiritual Formation of the Church (InterVarsity<br />
Press). He is also conducting several studies on spiritual transformation, focusing on<br />
turning points in people’s spiritual growth.<br />
Why this book? It gave me a deeper appreciation of the impact of early attachment relationships<br />
on our development. Karen has a wonderful, engaging style, and what is unique about this<br />
book is that he portrays the people behind the theorists — the personal experiences and context<br />
of each theorist that are part of the very fabric of the theory. Because of this, you get a much better<br />
handle on the theories themselves and how this impacts you personally because it’s not just<br />
abstract jargon.<br />
Recently <strong>Read</strong>: The Good Marriage by Judith Wallerstein, The Great Omission by Dallas Willard,<br />
Infant Research and Adult Treatment by Beatrice Beebe and Frank Lachmann and re-read The Developing Mind by Daniel Siegel<br />
Advice to Students: More than giving them advice, I try to create space for them to be where they are with God. I also try to help them understand<br />
that spiritual growth is a messy, unpredictable process and that it is important to stay engaged with God and in community even when<br />
things seem dry or stagnant — that God is working in ways they can’t yet see.<br />
Fun Facts: My favorite place to read is the beach. I try to make it a priority to always be reading something. If I am reading for a project, then I try to<br />
set time aside and get away from my office for an extended period of time so I can focus. Bc
20 BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
The Biggest Threat<br />
Many Christians are concerned about lawsuits that seek to remove<br />
Judeo-Christian symbolism from the public sphere, such as Ten<br />
Commandments displays in courthouses, crosses at war memorials,<br />
and the national motto — “In God We Trust” — on U.S.<br />
currency.<br />
These court cases certainly raise legitimate issues. But many Christians<br />
are unaware of a 16-year-old Supreme Court ruling that poses a far<br />
greater threat to religious liberty.<br />
Employment Division v. Smith<br />
In 1990, the Supreme Court ruled, in Employment Division v. Smith, that<br />
members of the Native American Church don’t have a constitutional right<br />
to use Peyote, a hallucinogenic drug, as part of their religious ceremonies<br />
if the law prohibits Peyote use generally.<br />
This ruling may not seem like a significant threat to religious liberty,<br />
since most religious groups don’t encourage drug use. Moreover, in 1994<br />
Congress passed a federal law protecting the right of members of the<br />
Native American Church to use Peyote. However, the Smith ruling<br />
established a precedent that could ultimately curb the religious practices<br />
of all religious groups.<br />
Smith pertains to what is known as the “free exercise clause.” The<br />
First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution contains two clauses that<br />
guarantee freedom of religion: the “establishment clause” and the “free<br />
exercise clause.” The establishment clause prohibits the government from<br />
establishing an official religion while enforcing a separation between<br />
church and state. This is the clause invoked by those who wish to remove<br />
Judeo-Christian references from the public sphere. The free exercise<br />
clause, on the other hand, guarantees the right of religious groups to<br />
operate without government interference.<br />
Although establishment clause cases raise important issues, they<br />
don’t prevent a church or faith community from following its own<br />
religious practices in its own domain. Those practices are protected by the<br />
free exercise clause, which was at issue in the Smith case.<br />
Before Smith, the Supreme Court held that the government<br />
couldn’t prevent a religious practice — even if the practice violates a<br />
generally applicable law — unless it had a “compelling interest.” An<br />
example of when the government has a compelling interest is when it<br />
has required Jehovah’s Witnesses to give blood transfusions to their<br />
children to protect the children’s health and lives, even though their<br />
religion prohibits blood transfusions. But, in the absence of a<br />
compelling interest, religious groups were exempted from generally<br />
applicable laws. For example, the Amish were exempted from a state<br />
law requiring them to give up their home-based education in favor of<br />
formal schooling until age 16.
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 ON MY HEART<br />
to Religious Liberty<br />
The Impending Threat<br />
Smith, however, paved the way for generally applicable laws to be enforced<br />
against a religious community even when harm to the community from<br />
enforcement would outweigh the government’s interest. For example, a<br />
legislature could now require churches to comply with employment laws<br />
that prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, gender and sexual<br />
orientation — without regard to the impact on churches’ ability to practice<br />
their religious beliefs.<br />
Of course, legislatures can choose to make exceptions for<br />
religious groups. That’s why, as it stands now, most religious<br />
organizations are exempt from employment discrimination laws. But,<br />
under Smith, such exemptions are no longer constitutionally required<br />
under the First Amendment.<br />
Consequently, the new rule shifted the power to protect religious<br />
freedom, in large measure, from the judicial to the legislative branch of<br />
government. And, while democratically elected legislatures are generally<br />
effective in protecting the rights of the majority, they have a mixed record<br />
when it comes to protecting the rights of the minority. Historically, courts<br />
have done a better job of that.<br />
The question then becomes: What happens when the legislatures<br />
have majorities that are hostile to religion and decide not to<br />
accommodate religious practice under generally applicable laws? For<br />
example, what could a legislature require of an evangelical community<br />
like <strong>Biola</strong>? Might a legislature dictate who is (or who is not) hired?<br />
Who is admitted to the student body? What is taught in the classroom?<br />
In response to such concerns about Smith, the U.S. Congress<br />
enacted the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) in 1993, which<br />
restored the pre-Smith protection for religious liberty. While the<br />
Supreme Court has held that Congress exceeded its authority in<br />
enacting RFRA as it applied to states, the Court recently upheld RFRA<br />
as it applies to the federal government. Several states also have passed<br />
similar statutes.<br />
Although these federal and state RFRAs do currently protect<br />
religious groups from generally applicable laws that burden them<br />
today, the shift of power to ensure religious liberty from the judicial<br />
branch to the legislative branch may pose a threat to religious freedom<br />
in the future.<br />
Michael H. Koby (’88)<br />
is on the faculty of Washington <strong>University</strong> School of Law in St.<br />
Louis, Mo., where he is the director of Trial and Advocacy<br />
Programs. Among other courses, he teaches “Religion and the<br />
Constitution.” At <strong>Biola</strong>, he earned a B.A. in intercultural studies. He can be<br />
reached at koby@wulaw.wustl.edu.<br />
Illustration by Joyce Hesselberth<br />
21
22 STUDENT LIFE BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Student Contract<br />
Behind the Scenes of the Nightline Interview<br />
On May 26, ABC’s late-night news<br />
program, Nightline, featured <strong>Biola</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong>, focusing specifically on our<br />
community commitment to sexual abstinence<br />
outside marriage. As the associate dean of<br />
student affairs and community life, I was among<br />
those interviewed by ABC correspondent Jake<br />
Tapper for the segment that aired, titled “Inside<br />
the College of Abstinence.”<br />
Many people have asked me what I<br />
thought of the segment. Overall, I thought it<br />
was very positive in its portrayal of the <strong>Biola</strong><br />
community and our commitment to the<br />
lifestyle values outlined in the student<br />
contract. The segment captured a point I kept<br />
coming back to during my interview with Jake<br />
— the majority of <strong>Biola</strong> students don’t view the<br />
contract negatively, but positively. They’ve<br />
come to <strong>Biola</strong> freely and willingly because<br />
they want to live a particular way, and they<br />
want to be a part of a community that shares<br />
their values. Those values include responsibility,<br />
integrity, forgiveness and confession,<br />
and submission to the instruction of<br />
Scripture, which, of course, teaches that God<br />
designed sexual relationships for marriage.<br />
The four students featured in the<br />
segment represented <strong>Biola</strong> well. Silas Cole,<br />
for example, did a great job of expressing the<br />
reasons for his personal commitment to<br />
sexual abstinence, reasons I believe<br />
represent the majority of students at <strong>Biola</strong> —<br />
the idea that they want to give their future<br />
wives or husbands everything about them, not<br />
something that has been shared.<br />
One of the questions Jake asked me<br />
during the interview was if <strong>Biola</strong> “kicks out”<br />
students when the contract is violated. <strong>Biola</strong>’s<br />
standards and values attract a particular kind<br />
of student. Therefore, when students do leave<br />
<strong>Biola</strong> it’s through a mutual process of<br />
agreement where they realize they don’t share<br />
<strong>Biola</strong>’s values and acknowledge <strong>Biola</strong> isn’t the<br />
best fit for them. The students, in so many<br />
ways, are just normal, developing college<br />
students who struggle with the same things<br />
ABC News correspondent Jake Tapper was surprised to find that students view<br />
the contract positively.<br />
any college student may struggle with. The<br />
difference with <strong>Biola</strong> students is they are<br />
making choices and intentionally desire to<br />
live a particular way with peers who have the<br />
same desires.<br />
When students are struggling with something,<br />
like alcoholism or pornography, they<br />
often will come forward on their own, asking<br />
for help and accountability. They’ll say, “I<br />
don’t want this to be a part of my life.” So we<br />
help them. We get them into accountability<br />
groups, or give them reflection projects to<br />
work on, and encourage them to engage with<br />
other people — whatever we can do to assist<br />
them and support their efforts to live<br />
consistently with their value system.<br />
The <strong>Biola</strong> community is a laboratory of<br />
sorts — a safe environment — where, for four<br />
years, students get to work out their values in<br />
their lives. Of course, they may not do it<br />
perfectly, but they are seeking to become<br />
certain kinds of people, which, ultimately, is<br />
the goal of the contract. It’s not about signing<br />
a “piece of paper,” but we see the paper as a<br />
tool to help them achieve their goal.<br />
Daniel Paschall<br />
serves as <strong>Biola</strong>’s associate dean of student<br />
affairs and community life.<br />
Recommended book: A Hidden Wholeness<br />
by Parker Palmer
In Print Event Calendar<br />
books by biolans<br />
The Search for Satisfaction:<br />
Looking for Something New<br />
Under the Sun,<br />
Dr. David H. McKinley (M.Div. ’90),<br />
W Publishing Group, May 2006;<br />
McKinley guides readers to find the<br />
secrets to a satisfied life by following Solomon’s<br />
ultimate life search through an in-depth study of<br />
the book of Ecclesiastes.<br />
Two Gospels From One: A<br />
Comprehensive Text-Critical<br />
Analysis of the Synoptic<br />
Gospels,<br />
Dr. Matthew C. Williams (New<br />
Testament professor), Kregel Academic<br />
& Professional, March 2006; A major<br />
work for professors, students and pastors interested<br />
in the origins of the first three Gospels.<br />
In Defense of Natural Theology:<br />
A Post-Humean Assessment,<br />
Contributions by Drs. Garrett J.<br />
DeWeese, J.P. Moreland and R.<br />
Douglas Geivett (philosophy professors<br />
at <strong>Biola</strong>’s Talbot School of<br />
Theology), InterVarsity Press, Nov. 2005; In<br />
Defense of Natural Theology makes vigorous individual<br />
and cumulative arguments that give fresh<br />
perspective to David Hume’s attacks on efforts<br />
to prove the existence of God from evidence in<br />
the natural world.<br />
The Resurrection of Jesus: John<br />
Dominic Crossan and N.T.<br />
Wright in Dialogue,<br />
Contributions by Drs. William Lane<br />
Craig and R. Douglas Geivett (philosophy<br />
professors at <strong>Biola</strong>’s Talbot<br />
School of Theology), Fortress Press, Jan. 2006;<br />
The Resurrection of Jesus brings together two<br />
leading lights in Jesus studies for a long-overdue<br />
conversation with one another and with significant<br />
scholars from other disciplines.<br />
“In Print” features books by <strong>Biola</strong> alumni and faculty. Send submissions to:<br />
<strong>Biola</strong> Connections, 13800 <strong>Biola</strong> Ave., La Mirada, CA 90639<br />
White House: Confidential<br />
(Revised and Expanded),<br />
Co-authored by Austin Hill (M.A.<br />
’99), Cumberland House Publishing,<br />
Aug. 2006; Most Americans<br />
believe that in the past our presidents<br />
were smarter, more honest, and behaved<br />
more like gentlemen than those we elect<br />
today. White House: Confidential is a clear-eyed<br />
look at America’s long line of presidents,<br />
warts and all.<br />
Bible Answers to Life’s Big<br />
Questions: Conversations About<br />
Faith in Plain Language,<br />
Co-authored by Stan Jantz (M.A.,<br />
’05), Harvest House Publishers,<br />
Feb. 2006; <strong>Read</strong>ers will appreciate<br />
these questions and clear, biblical answers<br />
that offer substance and sustenance for the<br />
faith journey.<br />
With One Voice: Singleness,<br />
Dating and Marriage to the<br />
Glory of God,<br />
Co-authored and edited by Marni<br />
“Maren” (Haugen, ’02) Chediak,<br />
Christian Focus Publications, May<br />
2006; Husband-and-wife team Alex and Marni<br />
Chediak show that it is more important to<br />
become a certain type of person than it is to find<br />
a certain type of person.<br />
Living a Milk-and-Honey Life:<br />
Letting Go of What’s Holding<br />
You Back,<br />
Sharon Norris Elliott (’80), Beacon<br />
Hill Press, March 2006; Learn how<br />
to make the journey from bondage<br />
(stressful relationships, problems with children,<br />
financial struggles or sin) to deliverance<br />
and enjoy the sweetness of a milk-andhoney<br />
life.<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
October<br />
Alumni Chapter Leaders Conference: Chapter<br />
leaders are invited back to campus for a two-day<br />
conference on leading alumni chapters, Oct. 6-7.<br />
Hong Kong Alumni Event: President Cook and<br />
Anna Belle will host a dinner for alumni in<br />
Hong Kong, Oct. 28.<br />
November<br />
Midnight Madness: Join alumni and students<br />
as they celebrate the start of basketball season,<br />
on Nov. <strong>12</strong>, at 11:30 p.m., in Chase Gymnasium.<br />
December<br />
Christmas Tree Lighting: Alumni and friends<br />
are invited to join the campus community for<br />
this annual Christmas tradition, on Dec. 1, at<br />
6:30 p.m., in front of Crowell Hall.<br />
Please RSVP for events.<br />
To RSVP or for more information, call (562) 903-4729<br />
or e-mail alumni@biola.edu. Visit the alumni Web site<br />
at: www.biola.edu/alumni.<br />
23
24 CONTINUING ED BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Why Do Bad Movies Get Made?<br />
Despite its star power and big budget, Sony Pictures’ Gigli flopped at the box office.<br />
I’ve often been asked by students how bad<br />
movies get made. Why, for example, does a<br />
movie with huge potential — an A-list cast,<br />
large budget and good concept — flop?<br />
To answer that question, we need to look at<br />
corporate culture. In Hollywood, a studio<br />
executive is under enormous pressure to make<br />
money for the studio and its shareholders. One<br />
of the ways that happens is when the executive<br />
can find a major star, producer or director who is<br />
attracted enough to a studio to make a deal<br />
committing several feature films to that studio.<br />
M. Night Shyamalan, for example, made three<br />
successful films, The Sixth Sense, Signs and The<br />
Village. Because of his signature style of<br />
filmmaking, Walt Disney Studios dangled a nice<br />
financial carrot to keep him on their roster. Yet,<br />
Disney, in a rare move, severed ties with<br />
Shyamalan when it passed on producing his<br />
most recent film, Lady in the Water. In reply,<br />
Shyamalan commented that, “Disney no longer<br />
valued individualism.” However, Lady in the<br />
Water did poorly its first weekend in release,<br />
which gave Disney executives some boasting<br />
rights. Now, Warner Brothers, who courted<br />
Shyamalan, will have first crack at his other<br />
films because they are betting on him to succeed<br />
down the road.<br />
The same thing happens with actors. A<br />
studio executive wants to make a deal with an<br />
actor and — instead of just signing that actor to<br />
one picture — will give him or her a production<br />
office on the lot and a three-picture deal. Since<br />
that actor owes the studio films, the actor may<br />
commit to a script simply to fulfill the contract.<br />
Another reason bad films get made is<br />
because someone, who may not necessarily be<br />
qualified for specific work, happens to be in the<br />
right place at the right time. Many years ago,<br />
over a weekend, I was helping a president of<br />
well-known production company move<br />
furniture to his new offices. When he found out<br />
I had a graduate degree in film, I was named vice<br />
president and head of development for the firm.<br />
Did a <strong>Biola</strong> professor impact your life? Tell BC about it, and we may share your story in an upcoming issue. connections@biola.edu<br />
I started Monday with a private office on the top<br />
floor of a Hollywood highrise! In the same way,<br />
people less qualified have risen to high ranks in<br />
the industry simply because they were<br />
positioned at the magical place at the right<br />
moment. I have seen numerous deals like that<br />
go through, where people get brought into a<br />
project because they were at a lunch meeting<br />
with someone who recommended them — no<br />
questions asked about their credentials. (A good<br />
used-car salesman with very little talent can<br />
make it.) Given this, it’s easy to see how a bad<br />
film could get made.<br />
Generally speaking, it is said that a good<br />
script is needed to make a good movie. Yet,<br />
many studio executives do not read the scripts<br />
submitted, so they depend on notes from script<br />
readers — usually college-age interns — who jot<br />
down the good and bad points of a screenplay.<br />
The studio executive then talks to the director or<br />
producer as if he or she has read the screenplay<br />
but, in reality, has only relied on the “Cliff<br />
Notes” made by an intern. When a studio gets<br />
serious about a project, usually the producers<br />
and studio executives spend time reading the<br />
scripts to make a final decision.<br />
Sometimes, when celebrities want to make<br />
big purchases — perhaps buy a beautiful villa in<br />
Tuscany or a private airplane — they will have<br />
their agents call studios and let them know of<br />
their availability to star in, say, Tidy Bowl Man.<br />
Their big advances will arrive shortly. They will<br />
buy their villas. They will make the films. The<br />
films will flop, but by then they are eating olives<br />
from their estate and all is well in their world.<br />
Michael Gonzales<br />
(Ph.D. ’03)<br />
teaches film at <strong>Biola</strong>. He has a graduate<br />
degree in screenwriting from the<br />
<strong>University</strong> of Southern California and<br />
a doctorate in intercultural education from <strong>Biola</strong>.<br />
Gonzales taught at USC as a production professor<br />
for 10 years. He has sold three scripts and optioned<br />
two and is currently directing television commercials<br />
and producing television specials.
In July, I was privileged to be part of a factfinding<br />
delegation of American evangelical<br />
academics and journalists invited by<br />
the Moroccan government to visit its<br />
country for one week. Our six-member delegation<br />
was organized by the Moroccan-American<br />
Center for Policy and led by Karen Prior from<br />
Liberty <strong>University</strong>; and included Tim Saxon,<br />
also from Liberty; Tanie Guy with the National<br />
Clergy Council; and Mindy and Nat Belz of World<br />
Magazine. We had an intensive week of meetings<br />
in Rabat, Fez, Casablanca and Dakhla, in the<br />
Western Sahara.<br />
On May 16, 2003, local youths, inspired by<br />
al-Qaeda, bombed a Casablanca neighborhood.<br />
This home-grown extremism so shocked their<br />
nation, which prides itself in its historic ethnic<br />
and religious tolerance, that Morocco began to<br />
examine the role of Islam in its country. The<br />
object of our visit was to learn more about the<br />
issues facing Moroccan citizens as they democratize.<br />
Our high-level meetings with representatives<br />
from every segment of Moroccan society<br />
— religious authorities, government officials,<br />
female entrepreneurs, journalists, politicians,<br />
youth who have organized programs to fight<br />
against Islamic extremism in their neighborhoods,<br />
and a new group of female scholars,<br />
known as the “alimat” (who, for the first time,<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience<br />
are ranked at the same level of expertise as the<br />
male “ulama”) — were unforgettable.<br />
Morocco is working intentionally to develop<br />
moderate Islamic policies for a civil society<br />
anchored in morality, modeled on the Maliki<br />
tradition — one of four schools of religious law<br />
within Sunni Islam — as opposed to the violent<br />
Salafi tradition. Morocco considers itself akin to<br />
America, where religious values shaped our<br />
ideas about citizenship and government.<br />
Morocco’s long-term western orientation has<br />
made her a staunch, though underappreciated,<br />
ally in the war against terror.<br />
It is essential for evangelicals to understand<br />
Morocco’s political and religious history<br />
as we develop deeper and broader relationships<br />
based upon our common concerns about the<br />
pernicious effects of atheism and radical Islam<br />
on our societies. In the future, I hope that my<br />
students and I will have further opportunities to<br />
study Morocco’s efforts to ground citizenship in<br />
faith-based morality.<br />
Judith Mendelsohn<br />
Rood, Ph.D.,<br />
serves as an associate professor of history<br />
and Middle Eastern studies at <strong>Biola</strong>.<br />
She has a doctorate from the <strong>University</strong> of Chicago in<br />
Modern Middle Eastern History.<br />
Judith Rood (far right) took part in an American fact-finding delegation that visited Morocco in July.<br />
FACULTY NEWS<br />
Faculty<br />
Highlights<br />
Dr. Aaron Kleist [English] was awarded<br />
$100,000, in June, by the National<br />
Endowment for the Humanities to lead a<br />
team of international scholars in editing<br />
and publishing Anglo-Saxon homilies<br />
written by Aelfric of Eynsham, an abbot. The project is<br />
estimated to take three years. This is Kleist’s second<br />
National Endowment for the Humanities award.<br />
Dr. Ivannia Soto-Hinman [education]<br />
received the “Early Career Award” from<br />
the American Educational Research<br />
Association, given to scholars with a<br />
promising career future. The award<br />
included a stipend to help her make a book out of her<br />
doctoral dissertation, titled “Toward a Balanced<br />
Literacy Approach: Literacy Approaches for Struggling<br />
English Learners.” Ivannia also is working with two<br />
major grants that were awarded by the Haynes<br />
Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation<br />
to improve the instruction at low socioeconomic<br />
schools in Southern California.<br />
Dr. Greg Peters [Torrey Honors Institute]<br />
visited the Vatican Library in Rome, May<br />
30-31, where he consulted a 13th century<br />
manuscript written by Peter of Damascus,<br />
an obscure <strong>12</strong>th century Byzantine<br />
Christian. Peters’ research — funded by a “Research<br />
and Development Grant” from <strong>Biola</strong> — focused on<br />
investigating the dates of Peter of Damascus’ lifespan.<br />
His most recent article, titled “Recovering a Lost<br />
Spiritual Theologian: Peter of Damascus and the<br />
Philokalia,” was published in St. Vladimir’s Theological<br />
Quarterly in 2005 (vol. 49, no. 4).<br />
David Washburn [music] was a featured<br />
trumpet soloist May 26 and May 28 at<br />
Walt Disney Concert Hall, performing<br />
Bach’s “2nd Brandenburg Concerto” with<br />
members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.<br />
After Washburn’s performance, Alan Rich, a<br />
music critic for L.A. Weekly, described him as a “first<br />
among equals, having to face Bach’s cruel demands<br />
for our enjoyment.” In December 2005, he performed<br />
the same concerto in New York City’s Alice Tully Hall<br />
with the New York Chamber Music Society of Lincoln<br />
Center. The society has invited David to give an encore<br />
performance at the Lincoln Center in December.<br />
Dr. George Alexander [missions and<br />
intercultural studies] received an award<br />
of appreciation from the Islamic<br />
Education Center in Walnut, Calif., on<br />
June 16, for his commitment to building<br />
bridges between <strong>Biola</strong> and the Muslim community.<br />
Alexander regularly takes his students to the center so<br />
they can learn more about Islam and interact with<br />
Muslim people.<br />
25
DEVELOPMENT<br />
SECTION<br />
26 BIOLA CONNECTIONS ❄ FALL FALL ’05 ’06<br />
Releasing Your Grip<br />
Iread an interesting prayer the other day in<br />
A.W. Tozer’s book The Pursuit of God. In<br />
the second chapter titled, “The Blessedness<br />
of Possessing Nothing,” Tozer<br />
concluded:<br />
Father, I want to know Thee, but my cowardly heart<br />
fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them<br />
without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide<br />
from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling,<br />
but I do come. Please root from my heart all those<br />
things which I have cherished so long and which<br />
have become a very part of my living self, so that<br />
Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival.<br />
Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious.<br />
Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine<br />
in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall<br />
be no night there.<br />
As I pondered these words, I was reminded of<br />
the struggle that so many believers face with<br />
regard to their possessions. We hold so tightly to<br />
the things in life that ultimately have little<br />
eternal value — our careers, our money, our<br />
retirement accounts — all of our “stuff.”<br />
Solomon, in Proverbs 3:5-8, reminds us that<br />
our trust — our security — is to be in God, not in<br />
our material possessions.<br />
One of the core principles guiding <strong>Biola</strong>’s<br />
fundraising efforts is the acknowledgement that<br />
“God owns it all.” It is God who has provided us<br />
with all of our time, wealth, possessions and<br />
resources. These resources are His gifts to us —<br />
entrusted into our care to be used to accomplish<br />
wonderful things for His Kingdom.<br />
For many months I have had the distinct<br />
privilege of working with one of <strong>Biola</strong>’s donor<br />
families who has learned how to put these<br />
biblical truths into practice. They understand<br />
that God is the ultimate owner of all things, and<br />
they want to make sure that the things they hold<br />
dear are being leveraged for the Kingdom.<br />
This family, who has asked to remain<br />
anonymous, has held a choice piece of<br />
commercial property in Southern California for<br />
nearly 50 years. The property, comprised of<br />
numerous office buildings, restaurants and<br />
retail stores, was dedicated by the family many<br />
years ago to be used by God for His glory.<br />
Recently, the owners decided it was time to<br />
evaluate the future of their business and set in<br />
place a succession plan for when they are both<br />
gone. They believed they needed a living trust<br />
and decided to call <strong>Biola</strong> for help.<br />
As the estate plan began to take shape,<br />
there was a profound moment when the<br />
donors made the following statement:<br />
“Almost half a century ago, we built this<br />
complex and dedicated it to the Lord. We’ve<br />
faithfully run this business every day since,<br />
and we want to make sure that, when God<br />
calls us home, the stewardship of this<br />
property is in the hands of an organization<br />
that will use it to further the Kingdom of God.<br />
We are so thrilled to leave this business in the<br />
very capable hands of <strong>Biola</strong> <strong>University</strong>.” With<br />
tears of joy in their eyes, this family was<br />
releasing their grip on a multi-million dollar<br />
investment that for decades consumed most<br />
of their time and energy. What an amazing<br />
act of obedience to God!<br />
I don’t know where this issue of <strong>Biola</strong><br />
Connections finds you with regard to your<br />
personal stewardship. Are you holding on tight<br />
to the things that God has entrusted to your<br />
care? God’s Word calls us to release our grip to<br />
share our material blessings with those who<br />
will use them to further His work. <strong>Biola</strong> is<br />
forever grateful for those of you who, like these<br />
donors, give so freely from the bounty of His<br />
provision. Our prayer is that God’s people will<br />
continue to invest generously in the mission<br />
and vision of <strong>Biola</strong> <strong>University</strong> as we together<br />
impact the world for Jesus Christ.<br />
Adam Morris (’90, M.A.<br />
’97, Ph.D.’02)<br />
Senior Director of Stewardship and<br />
Resource Development<br />
(adam.morris@biola.edu)
Warren Buffett, the<br />
Rockefellers and You<br />
I<br />
n June, Warren Buffett announced that $31<br />
billion of his personal wealth is destined<br />
for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation<br />
and its charitable work around the world.<br />
Within a month, a senior member of the<br />
Rockefeller family issued a statement regarding<br />
a sizable charitable gift from their family estate.<br />
These contributions will certainly go a long way<br />
in advancing the work of these charities.<br />
The National Council of Planned Giving<br />
predicts that within 15 years, over $25 trillion<br />
(count the zeroes) will be transferred to a<br />
younger generation through wills or living<br />
trusts. More than half of this wealth is held in<br />
appreciated real estate.<br />
It is likely that you will be either on the<br />
giving or receiving end of this transfer. Ron<br />
Blomberg, the director of Legacy Planning<br />
Services at <strong>Biola</strong>, suggests the following steps<br />
to affect a smooth and meaningful transfer of<br />
an estate. <strong>Biola</strong> can also help make sure your<br />
financial assets support charitable causes you<br />
believe in, like the ministry of <strong>Biola</strong>.<br />
1. Make a Plan<br />
Over 70 percent of Americans do not have an<br />
up-to-date will or estate plan. <strong>Biola</strong>’s Planning<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 DEVELOPMENT 27<br />
Team provides a template for the planning<br />
process. Every home needs one, and <strong>Biola</strong> offers<br />
it to you without cost.<br />
2. Review Your Plan<br />
One family recently reviewed their living<br />
trust with <strong>Biola</strong> and made some minor adjustments.<br />
As time passed, they realized that<br />
their financial situation had changed, and<br />
that their children’s needs had been redefined.<br />
Their charitable interests can now be<br />
more specifically defined in the future distribution<br />
of their estate. <strong>Biola</strong> has a staff of five<br />
professionals whose mission is to advance<br />
God’s work by assisting <strong>Biola</strong> benefactors in<br />
personalized planning that helps you care for<br />
those you love and makes an eternal impact<br />
on the world for the Lord Jesus Christ.<br />
3. Talk About Your Plan<br />
Parents should take the initiative to convey the<br />
provisions of their will to their children.<br />
For assistance with your estate planning,<br />
contact <strong>Biola</strong>’s Planning Team by calling<br />
(800) 445-4749 or e-mailing them at<br />
estate.planning@biola.edu.<br />
On June 26, Warren Buffet (R), chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., announced at a press<br />
conference that he would sign over $31 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.<br />
DIMA GAVRYSH /GAMMA<br />
Crowell School of<br />
Business Update<br />
Summer construction of the Crowell<br />
School of Business building provided<br />
great momentum toward its on-time completion<br />
in February. What was only a<br />
foundation and framework a few short months<br />
ago is now taking on the look of a wonderful,<br />
new, campus resource. As students returned to<br />
campus, they were greeted with a facility that<br />
will soon be state of the art in technology, moving<br />
the Crowell School of Business toward a toptier<br />
business school ranking.<br />
Donations toward the project’s budget of<br />
$14,800,000 total over $<strong>12</strong>,500,000, with more than<br />
$4,300,000 received in the 2005-2006 fiscal year.<br />
The remaining $2,300,000 is being sought from<br />
interested alumni and friends.<br />
Our thanks to the many of you who have<br />
already given to the Crowell School of Business<br />
building, through the mail or by personal contact.<br />
Your partnership with <strong>Biola</strong> to make this building<br />
possible will benefit future generations of<br />
Christian businessmen and women, seeking to<br />
do business as ministry, with biblical ethics and<br />
morality not taught in many places today. And,<br />
thanks again for your consideration of how you<br />
might help with the remaining need by year-end.<br />
To view live progress of the construction, visit<br />
the <strong>Biola</strong> Web Cam at: www.biola.edu/business<br />
www.biola.edu/donations<br />
562-906-4523
28 MISC.<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Selecting a President<br />
President Clyde Cook announced in May that he will retire on June 30, 2007.<br />
In May, after accepting President Clyde<br />
Cook’s retirement, <strong>Biola</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s<br />
Board of Trustees formed a search committee<br />
to find <strong>Biola</strong>’s eighth president.<br />
Just writing these words makes me take a deep<br />
breath. For 25 years, Dr. Cook has guided <strong>Biola</strong><br />
to unprecedented heights. Enrollment has more<br />
than doubled. New buildings are popping up on<br />
campus, one after another (two are in progress<br />
right now). And, all the while, he kept <strong>Biola</strong><br />
faithful to its historical, evangelical roots.<br />
So what kind of president can <strong>Biola</strong>ns<br />
expect when Dr. Cook retires on June 30? Well,<br />
the process is only just beginning, but the<br />
Presidential Search Team (PST) — as the search<br />
committee is officially called — already has a<br />
good start.<br />
The PST, which consists entirely of<br />
Trustees, includes alumni, parents, donors and<br />
past board chairs. There are also members who<br />
have served on presidential search committees<br />
for Christian organizations.<br />
In June, the PST met to select a consulting<br />
firm to help with the search. People Management<br />
International was chosen for its track<br />
record in presidential searches. The PST will be<br />
working closely with People Management partners,<br />
Rob Stevenson and Tommy Thomas, both<br />
Christians, who have led <strong>12</strong> Christian college<br />
presidential searches.<br />
Some governing principles will guide the<br />
search process. It will be an open process,<br />
which means the PST will solicit advice and<br />
counsel from <strong>Biola</strong>’s key constituent groups.<br />
(A Search Advisory Committee comprised of<br />
faculty and other <strong>Biola</strong>ns will also be formed.)<br />
Applicants’ names will be kept confidential<br />
during the process in order to attract top-tier<br />
candidates. And the PST will be careful to<br />
maintain stability throughout the process to<br />
help ensure a smooth transition.<br />
According to PST chair, Stan Jantz (M.A.<br />
’05), Dr. Cook gave the team ample time to complete<br />
a national search for his successor. He also<br />
admired the president’s timing in announcing<br />
his retirement.<br />
“He could have waited until after <strong>Biola</strong>’s<br />
100th year in 2008, but he decided to serve<br />
<strong>Biola</strong>’s future by giving his successor the<br />
momentum of coming on board on the cusp of<br />
that momentous event,” Jantz said.<br />
The PST hopes to select a candidate before<br />
Dr. Cook’s June retirement. But several challenges<br />
await them. First are the conceptual challenges.<br />
The PST needs to convey <strong>Biola</strong>’s goals and vision,<br />
not only to potential candidates, but also to alumni,<br />
faculty, staff and supporters, who will help the<br />
PST identify potential candidates. At first glance,<br />
this doesn’t sound too difficult. But when you look<br />
at the complexities of <strong>Biola</strong>’s vision to be a global<br />
center for Christian thought and spiritual renewal<br />
in a decidedly conservative evangelical context,<br />
you begin to see the unique challenges of clearly<br />
communicating this vision to those outside.<br />
And then there’s the interview process<br />
itself. Those familiar with the faculty hiring<br />
process at <strong>Biola</strong> know how stringent it is (see<br />
“What Does It Take To Teach Here?” Fall 2003).<br />
Doctrinal inquiries, educational philosophy<br />
statements and rigorous interviews will take<br />
ample time to complete and that’s after the PST<br />
sifts through what Jantz expects to be a large<br />
number of applicants.<br />
Finally, how do you begin to replace Dr.<br />
Cook, who Jantz refers to as “the dean of Christian<br />
college presidents”? You don’t. Dr. Cook has been<br />
at the center of <strong>Biola</strong>’s ethos for a quarter century<br />
and that doesn’t include his 20-plus years of service<br />
as a <strong>Biola</strong> dean, faculty member, trustee and<br />
student. His wit, charm and pastoral nature<br />
uniquely qualified him to be <strong>Biola</strong>’s president<br />
these past 25 years. But each new era has its own<br />
special needs. And this is the challenge awaiting<br />
the PST in the coming months.<br />
“I think I can speak for all the members of<br />
the Presidential Search Team when I say that we<br />
are humbled by the enormity of the task at<br />
hand,” Jantz said. “This is an absolutely significant<br />
time in <strong>Biola</strong>’s history.”<br />
Please pray for the PST — that God will help<br />
them find the president <strong>Biola</strong> needs to guide the<br />
<strong>University</strong> into its second century. And thank<br />
you, Dr. Cook, for your faithfulness in helping us<br />
get this far.<br />
Rob Westervelt<br />
(M.A.’97), editor<br />
Recommended book: Making Sense of<br />
It All: Pascal and the Meaning of Life<br />
by Thomas V. Morris
B I O L A · S C H O L A R S H I P · F U N D<br />
Sarah Rickard (’06)<br />
Support students like these. Send your donations to:<br />
1 · 800· 632· 4652<br />
Jessica O’Neill (’05)<br />
<strong>Biola</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Post Office Box 3760<br />
La Mirada, CA 90637-3760<br />
www.biola.edu/donations<br />
Enabling<br />
students to<br />
study truth,<br />
experience life<br />
transformation<br />
in Christ, and<br />
become a<br />
testimony<br />
These graduates thank you for supporting the <strong>Biola</strong> Scholarship Fund!<br />
Holly McMahon (’05) Kate Harrington (’06) Aaron Warkentin (’06)
30 ALUMNI FILES BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Wish You Were There<br />
In July, the Alumni and Friends Department<br />
hosted our first Alaskan Cruise<br />
aboard Holland/America’s msWesterdam<br />
with 75 of our alumni, parents and friends.<br />
The trip was an incredible opportunity to see<br />
what God has created and to learn from apologist,<br />
<strong>Biola</strong> lecturer and radio personality<br />
Greg Koukl. Our very own President Clyde<br />
Cook served as host and master of ceremonies<br />
for the week. The trip, coordinated through<br />
Inspiration Cruises, had the theme of “Travel<br />
With Purpose.”<br />
One of the highlights of the cruise was the<br />
amazing “Fourth of July show” of the Hubbard<br />
Glacier. This unique display of ice movement<br />
and “white thunder,” as the local Natives call it,<br />
rocked the ship (literally) as 100-ton ice blocks<br />
broke from the glacier, crashing into the water at<br />
Russell Fjord. It was reported by the cruise line<br />
that the glacier activity was at the highest level<br />
ever experienced by the ship. God can put on an<br />
incredible show!<br />
Throughout the week, Greg Koukl’s teaching<br />
challenged all of us to not be afraid to share<br />
our faith as ambassadors for Christ. So often, the<br />
fear of not having all of the answers can paralyze<br />
Christians, who know they should share their<br />
faith, but don’t really know how. (See “Sharing<br />
Your Faith,” Winter 2004). The week’s teaching dangers of relativism.<br />
helped us all learn how to ask the right questions<br />
of those we are sharing with, to study Scripture<br />
in context, and to understand the inherent<br />
‘I was reminded<br />
throughout the<br />
week of what a<br />
special place<br />
<strong>Biola</strong> <strong>University</strong> is’<br />
I was reminded throughout the week of<br />
what a special place <strong>Biola</strong> <strong>University</strong> is and how<br />
God has provided our students with some of the<br />
best Bible teaching and life preparation<br />
possible. No matter what degree our students<br />
complete, they are leaving <strong>Biola</strong> prepared to<br />
defend and extend their faith to others who may<br />
not know the Creator and Sustainer of all we saw<br />
on this incredible cruise.<br />
If you missed Alaska, we are taking<br />
reservations for a Jan. 19 to Jan. 21 trip to Mexico<br />
in cooperation with Azusa Pacific <strong>University</strong> and<br />
Fresno Pacific <strong>University</strong>, and we are working<br />
on plans for an early 2008, 100th anniversary<br />
alumni and friends Caribbean Cruise. Also, I’ve<br />
had several calls from alumni who are interested<br />
in reunions aboard ship with former classmates.<br />
Want your questions answered? Rick would like to hear from you (rick.bee@biola.edu).<br />
Rick Bee (center) pictured in front of Hubbard Glacier with [L to R]: Ray and Lynn Walkowski<br />
(past <strong>Biola</strong> parents), Julie (Hanna, ’80) Bee, and Becky (Robinson, ’91) and Brian (’92) Shook.<br />
If you are interested in helping put together a<br />
themed reunion cruise with your <strong>Biola</strong> friends,<br />
let the alumni department know.<br />
Please keep in your thoughts and prayers<br />
the family of Eva and Charles (’86) Covington.<br />
Eva is a long-time employee of <strong>Biola</strong>, having<br />
served the <strong>University</strong> Board and the President’s<br />
Office, and Charles a pastor and <strong>Biola</strong> graduate.<br />
Eva and Charles are also former <strong>Biola</strong> parents.<br />
The Covingtons attended the Alaskan cruise and<br />
experienced God’s wonder and glory through<br />
His creation. Charles passed away in Seattle,<br />
having experienced first hand the majesty of the<br />
Maker, and he’s now experiencing God’s<br />
wonder face to face.<br />
Rick Bee (’79,<br />
M.A.’90, Ph.D.’01)<br />
Senior Director of Alumni and<br />
Friend Development
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 ALUMNI NEWS<br />
Alumni Events Time to Renew<br />
Palm Springs, Calif.<br />
On March 4, alumni enjoyed a catered meal at the<br />
home of Henry and Beverly (’47) Richter. This<br />
annual event has become a long-standing tradition,<br />
taking place over the past 10 years. Many of<br />
the alumni who attended graduated more than 50<br />
years ago. President Clyde Cook (’57, M.Div. ’60,<br />
Th.M. ’62) and his wife, Anna Belle (’55), attended<br />
the event and enjoyed catching up with some of<br />
their former classmates.<br />
Plano, Texas<br />
On March 28, over 50 alumni and their friends<br />
from the Plano, Texas, chapter met at Stonebriar<br />
Community Church in Frisco, Texas, pastored by<br />
Chuck Swindoll. They enjoyed visiting with<br />
President Cook and his wife, Anna Belle, who<br />
attended the event. They also received an update<br />
about the recent developments at <strong>Biola</strong>. A special<br />
thanks goes to chapter leaders, Cliff Weaver (’70),<br />
Amy (Scheevel, ’92) Walz and Sid Goodloe (’95).<br />
Boise, Idaho<br />
On May 20, Boise alumni had a potluck at<br />
the home of Mark and Kelley (Clark, ’95)<br />
VanderSys. The group discussed plans for<br />
the incoming student send-off event they<br />
hosted on July 27 (details of the send-off<br />
event were not available as of <strong>Biola</strong><br />
Connections press time).<br />
Class of 1986 Reunion<br />
On June 24, the class of 1986 celebrated their<br />
20-year reunion at <strong>Biola</strong>. Families enjoyed a<br />
barbecue lunch, a bounce house for the kids,<br />
and a special comedy performance by their<br />
very own classmates, David O’Shaughnessy<br />
(’86) (formerly David Ohayon) and Adam<br />
Christing (’86) (formerly Mark Browning). As<br />
students, David and Adam often performed in<br />
chapel and became familiar faces to their<br />
classmates. The duo brought back their act for<br />
this special occasion.<br />
Palm Springs, Calif. Boise, Idaho<br />
Plano, Tex. 1986 Reunion<br />
Renew your Alumni Association*<br />
membership today and receive<br />
exclusive access to our new and<br />
improved alumni benefits.<br />
Save money on cars,<br />
travel and dining<br />
Get access to university events<br />
Receive FREE<br />
university services<br />
Renew now and you’ll be<br />
included in a drawing for a free<br />
Hawaiian vacation for four!<br />
Become a card-carrying Alumni<br />
Association member. Contact the<br />
Alumni Office and receive your<br />
free Alumni For Life Membership<br />
Package today.<br />
(562) 903-4728<br />
alumni@biola.edu<br />
www.biola.edu/alumni<br />
*<strong>Must</strong> have at least <strong>12</strong> units completed at <strong>Biola</strong><br />
to be eligible for membership<br />
31
32 ALUMNI NEWS BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Where Are They Now?<br />
Counseling Clergy<br />
Dr. Steven Cappa (M.A.<br />
’90, Psy.D. ’94) serves as<br />
the clinical director of<br />
Marble Retreat, a 32year-old,interdenominational<br />
counseling ministry<br />
for clergy, nestled in<br />
the Western Colorado<br />
Rockies. The ministry was<br />
born out of the conviction that pastors and others<br />
in Christian service have extreme job<br />
demands that can lead to burnout. They can be<br />
so busy caring for others that they don’t receive<br />
care for themselves. “Over time and with unhealthy<br />
coping skills, this can lead to relational,<br />
emotional and spiritual disablement in life,”<br />
Steve said. At Marble Retreat, over 3,000 church<br />
leaders from around the world have received<br />
Christ-centered, brief, intensive counseling,<br />
according to Steve. Recently, Marble Retreat<br />
expanded its services to include lay Christians.<br />
Steve’s wife, Patti, serves as the ministry’s executive<br />
director, and the Cappas have two grown<br />
sons, Matt and Will, and one still at home, Dave<br />
(15). www.marbleretreat.org<br />
Hobnobbing<br />
With Authors<br />
Laura Adams (’05)<br />
has served as a<br />
publicity assistant<br />
for Warner <strong>Books</strong>,<br />
a division of Hachette<br />
Book Group<br />
USA, in New York,<br />
since Nov. 2005. The previous summer Laura<br />
worked as a marketing intern for Warner Faith,<br />
Warner <strong>Books</strong>’ Christian division, in Nashville,<br />
Tenn. Her current job is to promote authors to<br />
the media. She said she has fun escorting them<br />
to their interviews, which have included televisions<br />
shows like MSNBC’s Rita Cosby Live &<br />
Direct and Comedy Central’s Colbert Report,<br />
where she met Stephen Colbert. “Publishing has<br />
such potential to influence culture by producing<br />
books that make people think about important<br />
issues,” Laura said, adding that, during her conversations<br />
with authors, she encourages them to<br />
think about Christianity. Laura lives in<br />
Manhattan and attends Redeemer Presbyterian<br />
Church. At <strong>Biola</strong>, she earned a B.A. in journalism<br />
with an emphasis in public relations. lauraadamsnyc@gmail.com<br />
Leading the<br />
‘Evangelical Church<br />
of West Africa’<br />
Rev. Bello Melton Misal<br />
(M.Div. ’89, Th.M. ’90)<br />
serves as vice president for<br />
the Evangelical Church of<br />
West Africa, a denomination<br />
of six million members<br />
with headquarters in<br />
Nigeria. Bello has served the denomination<br />
for 42 years as a missionary, teacher and<br />
administrator and was appointed vice president<br />
four years ago. He is helping the denomination<br />
start a Christian university, which, he<br />
said, will be similar to <strong>Biola</strong>. “It is hoped that<br />
university graduates will impact the church<br />
and our corrupted society in Nigeria and<br />
beyond,” he said. Challenges his denomination<br />
faces include growing hostility against<br />
Christians from Muslims. After satirical cartoons<br />
of Muhammad were published in<br />
Denmark, Muslims in Nigeria protested by<br />
burning churches and the houses of church<br />
leaders, including the house of Bello’s brother.<br />
Bello requests prayer. He and his wife,<br />
Almatu, have eight children and seven grandchildren.<br />
misalbello@yahoo.com<br />
Developing ‘Well-Ordered’ Souls<br />
Dale (M.A. ’02) and Jonalyn Grace (M.A. ’03)<br />
Fincher started “Soulation,” in July 2005, a<br />
nonprofit organization based in Southern<br />
California that seeks to help people become<br />
“appropriately human.” They focus on “wellordered<br />
souls” formed intellectually, emotionally<br />
and spiritually. Their tools are speaking,<br />
performing and writing on themes related to<br />
apologetics and spiritual formation. “We’re<br />
trying to focus on the steadfast floorboards of<br />
our faith and the qualitatively better life that<br />
Christ offers,” they said. They often speak as a<br />
husband-and-wife team at churches, schools<br />
and conferences to secular and Christian<br />
audiences. Both Dale and Jonalyn earned<br />
master’s degrees in philosophy at <strong>Biola</strong>’s<br />
Talbot School of Theology. Jonalyn’s book,<br />
Ruby Slippers: How the Soul of a Woman Brings<br />
Her Home (Zondervan), is due out next<br />
February. www.soulation.org<br />
Helping People<br />
Worship<br />
Dan Radmacher (’90,<br />
M.Div. ’04) is a singer/<br />
songwriter and serves as<br />
the worship leader for<br />
Christ Church Pasadena in<br />
Southern California. His<br />
passion is to help people<br />
make a vital heart connection<br />
with God in worship. In February, Dan’s<br />
second worship CD was released, titled “In<br />
the Space Between.” He said, “Living one’s<br />
life means always dealing with the tension of<br />
living in the space between one reality and<br />
another ... and that creates the peculiar<br />
dilemma of living with uncertainty and hope,<br />
despair and ecstasy, longing and fulfillment<br />
superimposed on one another.” While at<br />
<strong>Biola</strong>, he earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal<br />
performance and a master’s of divinity,<br />
receiving the Zondervan Outstanding Thesis<br />
award for his work on worship and postmodernity.<br />
More information, including<br />
contact details, is available at his Web site.<br />
www.danradmacher.com<br />
“Ring, Ring.” It’s <strong>Biola</strong> Connections. We surprised these alumni with a phone call. Who knows, you may be the next alumnus to be featured in “Where Are They Now?”
Casting ‘Fortune’ Hunters<br />
Cassandra Thompson (’04) travels the country<br />
in search of contestants for Wheel of Fortune.<br />
The television game show is currently in its 24th<br />
year (that’s as long as Cassandra’s been alive!).<br />
<strong>Biola</strong> Connections asked her how she got the<br />
job and if she’d give us an insider’s look at this<br />
American institution.<br />
During my senior year, I interned with Ryan<br />
Seacrest’s television talk show on FOX, which<br />
was later canceled. The publicist there, John,<br />
knew I was looking for a job. I didn’t know, but<br />
he sent my resume to Wheel of Fortune because<br />
he knew they had an opening. So, one day, I got<br />
a random call from Wheel of Fortune saying,<br />
“We’d really like you to come in for an interview.”<br />
I jumped at their offer to become a<br />
marketing assistant.<br />
I’ve been contestant coordinator since January.<br />
There are four of us who travel together<br />
to auditions. It’s fun to meet people from all<br />
walks of life.<br />
To get invited to an audition, you have to<br />
attend a Wheelmobile event or fill out an<br />
application online (www.wheeloffortune.com).<br />
The Wheelmobile, a big bus, is a traveling<br />
version of the game. They just held an event in<br />
Dallas, Texas, and 10,000 people showed up.<br />
Everyone fills out applications, which are drawn<br />
at random, allowing people to compete and<br />
participate in a brief interview. Later, we — the<br />
contestant coordinators — select people and<br />
invite them to an audition.<br />
During an audition, we have between 40 and<br />
100 people in a room who compete with puzzles.<br />
We’re looking for people who have a good balance<br />
of excitement and focus. We call it “juice.”<br />
Some people are excited and fun, but they have<br />
no focus. They call a “T” when the “T” is already<br />
up on the board. And other people are focused,<br />
but they show no excitement.<br />
A lot of older people and families watch<br />
Wheel because there is so little television the<br />
whole family can watch together. I have a lot of<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 BIOLANS UP CLOSE 33<br />
young moms tell me, “My kid learned how to<br />
spell from watching Wheel of Fortune.”<br />
Sometimes, professional gamers try to get<br />
on the show. There’s a whole culture out there<br />
I never knew about — of people who go from<br />
game show to game show. Our rule is that you<br />
have to wait a year before doing another one.<br />
In the bonus round alone, someone can win<br />
$100,000. The highest amount we’ve ever had<br />
anyone win is $146,529.<br />
My faith has influenced my conversations<br />
with co-workers. I’ve gone to lunch with them<br />
and, once, we talked an hour and a half about our<br />
beliefs. Some people think that would become<br />
argumentative, but people really want to know<br />
what you believe.<br />
Business ethics is, hands down, the best<br />
class I took at <strong>Biola</strong> because it is about the<br />
complete integration of your faith and your<br />
work. Every now and then, an ethical issue arises<br />
when we’re traveling and I’ll have to decide,<br />
“Is it a better witness for me to stay with this<br />
group of people right now, or is it better for me<br />
to go back to my hotel room?”<br />
The show goes on the road three times a year,<br />
which includes about 100 people. It’s fun<br />
because about 20 of us will be on the plane at the<br />
same time. It’s such a diverse group that other<br />
people look at us like, “How do all these people<br />
know each other?”<br />
Pat and Vanna are both really nice people.<br />
I’m not just saying that. I interact with Pat a lot<br />
when we go over pronunciation on the cards he<br />
uses to introduce contestants. He’ll talk and joke<br />
with us.<br />
Watching people win $100,000 is the most<br />
fun thing I’ve ever seen. It’s exciting to watch on<br />
TV, but even more so in person because I spent<br />
the whole day with that contestant.<br />
Cassandra Thompson At A Glance<br />
Thomas Fluharty<br />
Home: Santa Monica, Calif.<br />
Education: B.A. in business<br />
management, <strong>Biola</strong><br />
Favorite Fiction Book: Pride and<br />
Prejudice by Jane Austen<br />
Fun Fact: Cassandra interned<br />
with Ryan Seacrest on his, now<br />
cancelled, television talk<br />
show, “On-Air with Ryan<br />
Seacrest” (Fox).
&<br />
34 NEWS NOTES BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
News & Notes<br />
1930s<br />
Minda S. Graff (’36) has been living at the<br />
Veterans Home of California since 1990. On<br />
July 7, she celebrated her 90th birthday. Her<br />
two years at <strong>Biola</strong> introduced her to Africa<br />
Inland Mission. After five more years earning<br />
her B.S. in nursing from the <strong>University</strong> of<br />
California, San Francisco, she became a<br />
candidate for missionary service in Kenya. Not<br />
being able to raise sufficient support during<br />
World War II, she nursed at hospitals, a county<br />
health department, and as a Navy nurse<br />
stationed at Oakland, Calif., and Samson, N.Y.<br />
In 1948, she sailed for Africa, serving as a nurse<br />
at Rift Valley Academy, a boarding school for<br />
missionary children. She also set up a nursing<br />
program for the high school, taught high school<br />
sciences and other subjects, did office work,<br />
dormitory supervision, and assisted Sunday<br />
School teachers with their lessons. In 1963,<br />
Minda returned to Berkeley, Calif., after her<br />
father died, to help her mother and sister. She<br />
taught a nursing course at Merritt College in<br />
Oakland, Calif., for 16 years. She has also<br />
worked with Child Evangelism Fellowship.<br />
1950s<br />
Marjorie (Lamm, ’54) and Clyde Worley<br />
recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.<br />
Both are retired from Pennsylvania<br />
College of Technology. Clyde pastors Hope of<br />
Glory Bible Church in Muncy, Pa. They have five<br />
married children, 16 grandchildren and one<br />
great-granddaughter.<br />
1970s<br />
(Martha) Lynn Landweer (’75) completed a<br />
Ph.D. in sociolinguistics (by supervised<br />
research) at the <strong>University</strong> of Essex, Colchester,<br />
England, on June 9. She specialized in issues of<br />
language maintenance and shift in Melanesia,<br />
specifically in Papua New Guinea. Lynn said,<br />
“It’s been a long road since I tripped up the steps<br />
to the stage to collect my <strong>Biola</strong> bachelor’s degree<br />
in 1975, but the Lord has been with me each step<br />
of the way. Praise Him.”<br />
Fran Seiford (’79) reports that she recently<br />
returned from a wonderful trip to Kenya and<br />
visited with two <strong>Biola</strong> alumni friends: Jeannie<br />
(Pontier, ’79) Morse and Debbie (Danielson,<br />
’79) Nimigan. Jeannie and her family have<br />
ministered in Mombasa with Africa Inland<br />
Mission International for the past 18 years.<br />
Debbie and her family from Canada were<br />
filling in for a few months teaching art at Rift<br />
Valley Academy. Both families, their kids and<br />
Fran spent a weekend together at a safari<br />
lodge in Tsavo National Park, a game sanctuary.<br />
Fran was also able to visit separately at<br />
Rift Valley Academy and the Mombasa area.<br />
fran@stampendous.com<br />
Charlie (’78) and Mary Cook joined their<br />
extended family during the summer of 2005 for<br />
a vacation to Maui to celebrate family milestones,<br />
including the 80th birthday of Charlie’s<br />
father and the 50th anniversary of his father and<br />
mother, Richard (’52) and JoAnn Cook. They<br />
also celebrated the 20th anniversary of Charlie’s<br />
brother and his wife, Ken (’81) and Carolie<br />
Cook; and they celebrated birthdays in the<br />
family of his sister, Connie (Cook ’83) Milks.<br />
Charlie works for Delta Air Lines as a flight<br />
attendant. cook3566@bellsouth.net<br />
1980s<br />
Marcy Porter (’85) recently graduated from the<br />
<strong>University</strong> of La Verne with a master’s in school<br />
counseling and “Pupil Personnel Services<br />
Credential.” She is now a counselor at Santa<br />
Barbara High School in California. She attends<br />
Oaks Bible Church in Santa Barbara.<br />
Bruce (M.A. ’86) and Karen (Duhn, ’80) Bauer<br />
live in the high desert north of Los Angeles with<br />
their three children. Their daughter, Heather,<br />
will be attending <strong>Biola</strong> in 2007. Bruce recently<br />
received a doctorate in biblical studies and<br />
serves in leadership to seniors at their church.<br />
Karen teaches piano and plays viola in a<br />
community orchestra.<br />
1990s<br />
Christina Lando (’99) is working with<br />
orphans and children-at-risk through SEND<br />
International in Sofia, Bulgaria. She said,<br />
“My love for orphans started at <strong>Biola</strong>!”<br />
Christina would love to hear from <strong>Biola</strong>ns.<br />
christinalando@yahoo.com<br />
2000s<br />
Tami Miller (’03) recently graduated from<br />
Azusa Pacific <strong>University</strong> with a master’s degree<br />
in clinical psychology. She is also working at<br />
Genesis Counseling Service in San Bernardino,<br />
Calif., as a marriage and family therapist<br />
trainee, where she will continue working toward<br />
state licensure. She credits <strong>Biola</strong> with her<br />
spiritual foundation and her love for learning.<br />
William Casey (Esquibel) Wells (’06) was<br />
recently accepted to the <strong>University</strong> of Southern<br />
California for a dual master’s degree in business<br />
administration and real estate development.<br />
william.casey.wells@gmail.com<br />
Marriages<br />
Brad Traywick (’91) married Rachael Smith in<br />
a beachside ceremony on the island of Kauai,<br />
Hawaii, on Jan. 10, 2006. Following a threeweek<br />
honeymoon to the island of Sicily, Italy,<br />
the couple now lives in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii.<br />
Brad and Rachael are employed in the real<br />
estate industry and enjoy travel — both<br />
worldwide and domestic — where Brad can<br />
discover new beaches and breaks to continue<br />
his lifelong passion of surfing.<br />
Tommy Larson (‘95) married Keri Payne on<br />
May 6 in Nashville, Tenn. <strong>Biola</strong>ns in the<br />
wedding included best man Timmy Larson<br />
(’03), attendants Trevor Kientz (’96), Kevin<br />
Bailey (’05), Julie (Larson, ’92) Kremer and<br />
Amy (Larson, ’98) Spence. The ceremony<br />
was conducted by Rev. James Larson (M.Div.<br />
’74), father of the groom. Tommy works for<br />
Rock Harbor Church, and Keri is a session<br />
singer. They live in Yorba Linda, Calif.<br />
tml_00@yahoo.com<br />
Jennifer Kang (’00) and Steven Moon were<br />
married on July 2, 2005, in Bel Air, Calif.<br />
Jennifer recently received her doctorate in<br />
education from the <strong>University</strong> of Southern<br />
California. She works as a district literacy<br />
coordinator and lives in Playa Vista, Calif.
Akiko (Takamatsu, ’00) married Shunsuke<br />
Iinuma on June 19, 2004. <strong>Biola</strong>ns in the<br />
wedding included Yoshiko (Yamaguchi, ’99)<br />
Hashimoto, Keiko (Nakajima, M.A. ’97)<br />
Mori, and Maki Kano (M.A. ’02). Akiko<br />
teaches piano at Christian Academy in Japan.<br />
aiinuma@caj.or.jp<br />
Karen Boscia (’00) was married to James<br />
Seward on May 13 in Wheaton, Ill. <strong>Biola</strong>ns in the<br />
wedding were: Jill (Harrell, ’00) Marquez, Sarah<br />
Nugent (’01) and Karen (Chouinard, ’00) Lowe.<br />
James is a pastor at College Church in Wheaton,<br />
and Karen works for Little Lambs Ministry.<br />
karenleeseward@gmail.com<br />
Angela (Kang, ’02) married Jeffrey Steven<br />
Stillion on May 6 in San Francisco, Calif.,<br />
surrounded by family and friends. <strong>Biola</strong>ns who<br />
attended were Marisa Bottolfson (’01) and<br />
Breanna Jorgensen (’03). Angela works for<br />
Starbucks Coffee Company as a district<br />
manager, and Jeff is finishing his degree. They<br />
live in Fullerton, Calif.<br />
Bryn (’01) and Jaime (Fiktarz, ’03) Wade were<br />
married in July 2005. They are teachers in<br />
Downey, Calif., — Bryn at a high school, and<br />
Jaime at an elementary school. The couple wants<br />
to relocate to Kingwood, Texas. They said,<br />
“Anyone who has connections, let us know.”<br />
bryn@aol.com<br />
Wilhelmina (Mann, ’02) married Matthew<br />
Augustine on May 20, 2006.<br />
Derek and Amy (Cole, ’03) Brown were<br />
married July 23, 2005, in Los Altos, Calif.<br />
<strong>Biola</strong>ns in the wedding included Megan Cole<br />
(’06), Michelle Warkentin (’04) and Katie<br />
Finnerty (’03). Derek and Amy live in<br />
Sunnyvale, Calif., where Derek is a high school<br />
pastor, and Amy is a first-grade teacher.<br />
Avisha (Melwani, ’03) married Kenneth<br />
Mpemba on Dec. 17, 2005. Kenneth is from<br />
Malawi, Africa. Avisha and Kenneth met at<br />
church in the Bay Area, Calif., and they now live<br />
in Kasungu, Malawi, where they are part of the<br />
Navigators ministry there. They work with a<br />
local high school, where their focus is on<br />
discipleship. They said they continue to see<br />
where God leads them in His ministries in the<br />
years to come.<br />
Kimberly Johnson (’04) married Brady Ryan<br />
on Aug. 19.<br />
Michael Musser (’05) and Kimiko (Payne,<br />
’05) were married June 10 in Seattle, Wash.<br />
<strong>Biola</strong>ns in the wedding party included: Ryan<br />
Thompson (’05), Brynne Price (’05), Judy<br />
Smith (’05), Emily Haager (’05), Kimberly<br />
Graham (’05), Rachel Novo (’05), Daniel<br />
Reider (’05) and Jon Phelps (’07). Michael and<br />
Kimiko make their home in Long Beach, Calif.<br />
Michael is a freelance graphic designer and a<br />
graphic designer for <strong>Biola</strong> in the Integrated<br />
Marketing Communications department, and<br />
Kimiko is pursuing her master’s degree in<br />
speech-language pathology at California State<br />
<strong>University</strong>, Long Beach.<br />
Anna (Sorrels, ’05) and Austin Nielsen were<br />
married on March 4, in San Diego, Calif. <strong>Biola</strong>ns<br />
in the wedding were Laurel Jones (’05), Kelly<br />
(Van Deusen, ’05) Wright, Becca Henriksen<br />
(’07), Jory Keller (’01), and Jeff Edwards (’98).<br />
Anna and Austin live in San Diego, where Anna<br />
works with Heart to Heart International<br />
Ministries, and Austin works with 4-D<br />
Neuroimaging. anna@h2hint.org<br />
Births<br />
Adam (’86, M.A. ’91) and Grace Edgerly<br />
announce the birth of their daughter, Harper<br />
Abigail.<br />
Steven Saylar (’87) and his wife, Tamara, are<br />
pleased to announce the birth of their second<br />
child, Tanner Luke, born May 1. Tanner joins his<br />
older brother, Slater (2). The family lives in Elk<br />
Grove, Calif. saylar4@aol.com<br />
Doug (’88) and Elaine (Ong, ’90) Entz joyfully<br />
announce the birth of Mark Riley, born Sept. 11,<br />
2005. Mark is greatly loved by Katelyn (11), Drew<br />
(9) and Cassidy (6). The family enjoys living in<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
the country, outside of Wichita, Kan. Doug is<br />
self-employed and manages a feed and seed<br />
business along with his farm and orchard.<br />
dougelaine@att.net<br />
Jon (’89) and Karen (Hart, ’89) Swedberg<br />
joyfully announce the birth of their daughter,<br />
Emily Brooke. Emily was born March 2 and joins<br />
her big brothers, Ryan (8) and Tyler (5). The<br />
Swedberg family lives on the Monterey Peninsula,<br />
Calif., where Jon practices as an estate<br />
planning attorney, and Karen is a stay-at-home<br />
mom. They say, “We know we are truly blessed to<br />
be entrusted with our three children and are<br />
enjoying homeschooling them.”<br />
Kirk (’90) and Valerie (’90) McCall announce<br />
the birth of Hannah Grace on May 10.<br />
David and Karin (’91) Shuck announce the<br />
adoption from Russia of their three children:<br />
Yuri Alexander, Vera Elizabeth and Polina<br />
Katherine. They joined the family in November<br />
2003. David works for Boeing as an industrial<br />
engineer. Karin primarily stays at home, but<br />
also teaches part time at Fullerton College in<br />
Southern California. The Shuck family lives in<br />
La Mirada. shuck5@verizon.net<br />
Greg (’92) and Marchand Lewis celebrate the<br />
birth of their third child, Susanna Faye, born<br />
March 7. She joins her twin siblings, Sam and<br />
Elizabeth (3).<br />
Jason and Janelle (Fredenburg, ’93) Franz<br />
celebrate the arrival of their son, Joseph Scott,<br />
born Feb. 27. Joseph joins his big sister,<br />
Jacquelyn (3). The family lives in St. Petersburg,<br />
Fla., where Jason works with the United States<br />
Coast Guard, and Janelle is a stay-at-home<br />
mom. jjfranz@tampabay.rr.com<br />
Andrew (’93, M.A. ’96) and Gina Garland are<br />
thrilled to announce the birth of their first child,<br />
Jordan Nathaniel, on March 27. They said,<br />
“Jordan is truly a gift from the Lord.” The<br />
Garlands live in Covina, Calif., where Andrew<br />
serves as an associate pastor at Grace Church<br />
Glendora. agarland@grace-church.com<br />
35
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36 NEWS NOTES BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Vance (M.A. ’93) and Deb (Wann, ’96)<br />
McGee are proud to announce the birth of<br />
their son, John Wesley, on Aug. 26, 2005. He<br />
joined his big sister, Allison Joy (3). The<br />
McGees live in Port Gibson, Miss., where<br />
Vance teaches Bible and theology at Chamberlain-Hunt<br />
Academy, a Christian military<br />
boarding school, and Deb is a stay-at-home<br />
mom. vwmcgee@bellsouth.net<br />
William (’94) and Riva (Boersma, ’98) Lee<br />
celebrate the birth of their son, Tyler William.<br />
Tyler was born Oct. 14, 2005, and joins his big<br />
sister, Mikayla (3). Will and Riva report that<br />
Tyler’s life is a miracle due to several complications<br />
during labor, but the family rejoices<br />
that he is strong and perfectly healthy. Will<br />
and Riva live in Whittier, Calif., where Riva is<br />
a stay-at-home mom, and Will works as a<br />
graphic designer at a promotional company.<br />
www.totalee.net<br />
Chris (’95) and Jennifer (Nobles, ’95)<br />
Nandor celebrate the birth of Lucy Abigail,<br />
born on March 1. Chris is a programmer and<br />
writer, working for Slashdot.org, and is<br />
chairman of his district’s Republican party.<br />
Jennifer takes care of the house, three dogs<br />
and three cats. Lucy joins a proud sister, Riley<br />
(4). The Nandor family lives in Arlington,<br />
Wash. biola@pudge.net<br />
Tyler (’95) and Maggie (Roersma, ’95)<br />
Williamson announce the births of Nolan<br />
Tyler and Lorien Carisse, born Nov. 23, 2005.<br />
The Williamsons live in Boise, Idaho.<br />
williamson.mac.com<br />
Lance and Heather (Wilson, ’96) Weurding<br />
are proud to announce the birth of their<br />
second daughter, Jordan Grace, born on May<br />
31, 2006. Jordan joins her sister, Reagan (3).<br />
The family lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., where<br />
Lance is in commercial real estate, and<br />
Heather is a stay-at-home mom.<br />
David and Tansy (Cheung, ’97) Ferguson<br />
proudly announce the birth of their second<br />
son, Jacob Alexander, born Aug. 5, 2004. He<br />
joins his big brother, DJ (2). The Fergusons<br />
live in Fountain Valley, Calif. David works as a<br />
software architect for Toyota. Tansy stays busy<br />
teaching second grade and taking care of DJ<br />
and Jacob.<br />
David (’97) and Mary-Catherine McAlvany<br />
welcomed their first son, Decian Samuel, on<br />
May 16. David joined the family precious metals<br />
business, ICA, in 2003 (www.mcalvany.com).<br />
Mary-Catherine is a jewelry designer and stayat-home<br />
mom (www.mjewelrydesigns.com).<br />
They live in Durango, Colo.<br />
Jeremy (’97) and Candace (’03) Porras<br />
joyfully announce the birth of their second<br />
daughter, Alyssa Joelle, born on May 18. She<br />
joins her older sister, Janae (1). Jeremy is a<br />
full-time worship pastor at Florence Avenue<br />
Foursquare Church in Santa Fe Springs, Calif.<br />
The family enjoys living in Whittier, where<br />
Candace feels blessed to be a stay-at-home<br />
mom. jporras@fafc.org<br />
Brett and Sarah (Fruehan, ’99) Ware welcomed<br />
home their first child, a baby boy. Landon<br />
Robert was born May 17. Brett and Sarah are in<br />
the process of adopting him. They said they are<br />
“overjoyed and blessed with this new bundle of<br />
joy!” sarah@bridgeschurch.org<br />
Bryan (’98) and Robyn (Rudd, ’99) Staples<br />
announce the birth of Brianna Elizabeth and<br />
Olivia Morgan on Feb. 25. They join their older<br />
sister, Kailynne (2). Bryan is a high school<br />
teacher in Camarillo, Calif., and Robyn is a<br />
nursing supervisor of an intermediate care unit.<br />
staples29@juno.com<br />
Tim (’00) and Laura (Johnson, ’01) Brown<br />
are pleased to announce the arrival of Joshua<br />
Ryan, born June 11. Joshua joins his siblings,<br />
Rachel Renee and Alex. Tim works as an agent<br />
for Aflac insurance, and Laura is considering<br />
a career move — joining the staff at Focus on<br />
the Family or the faculty at Colorado Christian<br />
<strong>University</strong> — as soon as their older kids start<br />
school. The Browns ask for prayer as they<br />
consider their options. They recently<br />
relocated to Castle Rock, Colo. They said they<br />
love living there, adding that the views are<br />
“amazing.” laurasmschoir@yahoo.com<br />
Kerry (Forsythe, ’01) and Jules Edouard Nau<br />
celebrated the birth of their son, Ephraim<br />
Nicolas, on April 2. kerrydenise@hotmail.com<br />
Ethan (’04) and Laura Hedberg were delighted<br />
to welcome their first child, Charis<br />
Christine, born June 13. They live in Santa<br />
Ana, Calif. Ethan serves as pastor of youth and<br />
missions at Evangelical Free Church in Laguna<br />
Hills, and Laura is a part-time preschool<br />
teacher at their church.<br />
Deaths<br />
June (Baker, ’50) Kusler died on May 25 after<br />
a 35-year struggle with Diabetes 2. Her<br />
husband, Duane Kusler (’50, ’53), said <strong>Biola</strong><br />
prepared June well for her public and church<br />
services. June enjoyed her time as Dr.<br />
McGee’s school secretary when <strong>Biola</strong> was<br />
located at Sixth and Hope Streets in<br />
downtown Los Angeles. Dr. McGee could<br />
never remember June’s name and just called<br />
her “sister,” Duane recalls. June spent her<br />
life as a student and teacher of God’s Word<br />
and was a guide for many because of her<br />
insight into God’s Word. She will be remembered<br />
for her prayer since she expressed her<br />
awareness of how her God showed himself<br />
to her. She became a professional floral<br />
designer, and her flowers were a weekly presentation<br />
in their church service. Singing was<br />
her joy, and she performed both classical and<br />
religious music with the Walla Walla<br />
Symphony Chorale and the Alderwood<br />
Community Church choir in Lynnwood,<br />
Wash. Her greatest joy was their grandson,<br />
Nathan, who is now serving at the Demilitarized<br />
Zone in Korea. June is survived by her<br />
husband, Duane.<br />
Visit <strong>Biola</strong> Connections online<br />
www.biola.edu/connections
Baby <strong>Biola</strong>ns<br />
01 02<br />
03<br />
04 05<br />
06 07<br />
08<br />
09 10<br />
11<br />
01) Alyssa Porras 02) Charis Hedberg 03) Hannah McCall 04) Brianna & Olivia Staples 05) Decian McAlvany<br />
06) Mark Entz 07) Emily Swedberg 08) Tyler Lee 09) Jordan Garland 10) Joseph Franz 11) Tanner Saylar<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
UPDATE UPDATE YOUR<br />
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CLASSMATES<br />
CLASSMATES<br />
Don’t be shy! Send in your News<br />
& Notes and let your classmates<br />
know what you’re up to. It’s easy.<br />
E-MAIL<br />
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Please limit your updates to 60 words and<br />
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BC Wants More Photos<br />
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37
&<br />
38 NEWS NOTES BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06<br />
Photo Gallery<br />
The photo on the right — taken in<br />
Huntington Beach, Calif., by Michael<br />
Musser (’05) — was featured in the<br />
47th photography annual of<br />
Communications Arts, a leading<br />
design publication. Musser earned a<br />
bachelor of fine arts degree with an<br />
emphasis in design and works as a<br />
graphic designer in <strong>Biola</strong>’s<br />
Integrated Marketing<br />
Communications department.<br />
2. Finalist, Nikon Best of College Photo Contest: Marilyn Foute (’06) took this photo in Nigeria,<br />
where she grew up, while visiting her parents who are missionaries. Foute graduated in May with<br />
a bachelor of fine arts degree with an emphasis in photography.<br />
3. Finalist, Nikon Best of College Photo<br />
Contest: This photo is by Jennifer Yount<br />
(’06), who graduated in May with a<br />
bachelor of fine arts degree with an<br />
emphasis in photography.
Sloppy Agape<br />
Traditionally, John 21:15-17 has been a<br />
rich source of what Bible scholars call<br />
“eisegesis” — reading into the text<br />
something the text itself does not<br />
contain.<br />
Some faulty translations of this passage are<br />
based on the two different Greek verbs for<br />
“love” that the author, John, uses when recording<br />
a dialogue between the resurrected Jesus and<br />
Peter. Jesus asks Peter two times, “Do you love<br />
me,” using the verb agapao both times (vv. 15,<br />
16). Peter responds, “I love you,” using phileo<br />
both times. The third time Jesus asks Peter the<br />
question, however, Jesus uses the verb phileo, as<br />
does Peter in his response (v. 17).<br />
It is often argued that agapao signifies a<br />
higher form of love — divine, selfless, altruistic.<br />
However, the most Peter will claim for his love of<br />
Jesus is phileo love — friendship love. Such a<br />
reading of this passage probably accounts for the<br />
distinction the New International Version<br />
makes in its translation, rendering “truly love”<br />
for agapao, and “love” for phileo.<br />
But this translation cannot be. In the<br />
first place, it is John’s writing style to use the<br />
verbs agapao and phileo interchangeably,<br />
without any distinction in meaning. Thus, the<br />
expression “the disciple whom Jesus kept on<br />
loving” can be based on either verb (John<br />
19:26; 20:2). Again, when John states that<br />
the Father “loves the Son,” both verbs are<br />
used (John 15:9; 5:20). Even in verse 17 of the<br />
exchange between Jesus and Peter, John uses<br />
two different Greek verbs for “know” without<br />
any difference in meaning — “Lord you know<br />
all things; you know that I love you.”<br />
Second, Peter could hardly answer, “Yes,<br />
Lord, I love you” if, in fact, he actually meant<br />
“No, Lord, I only like you as a friend.”<br />
Finally, it is clear that Peter got upset, not<br />
because Jesus changed his verb in the third<br />
question, but because Jesus asked him the same<br />
question three times — an obvious allusion to<br />
Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus.<br />
If this passage is not about the two Greek<br />
words for “love,” then what does it teach? Two<br />
simple, but profound, truths.<br />
The first is this: What the Lord Jesus Christ<br />
is looking for in his disciples — in Peter, in John,<br />
BIOLA CONNECTIONS FALL ’06 IN CONTEXT<br />
39<br />
and in us today — is our love above everything<br />
else. We may think we can impress him with<br />
our knowledge, accomplishments or bank<br />
accounts. But if the risen Lord were to do a<br />
heart examination on each one of us today, he<br />
would ask us one question: “Do you love me?<br />
Do you love me? Do you love me?” Hence the<br />
priority of love in the New Testament (see Gal.<br />
5:22; 1 Cor. 13:13; Rev. 2:4).<br />
But is it enough to say the words “I love<br />
you”? I’m sure the Lord enjoys hearing these<br />
words from his dear children, just as we do from<br />
ours. Yet it is all too easy to become enamored<br />
with words and fail to back them up with actions.<br />
And that is the second great truth in our<br />
passage. Jesus is saying that the best way to<br />
prove that we love him is by taking care of his<br />
people. As he tells Peter, if you love me, then<br />
“Feed my lambs” and “Take care of my sheep”<br />
(vv. 15, 16, 18).<br />
This is the same “Love Triangle” that we see<br />
in another of John’s books, 1 John. There, John<br />
writes, “Whoever says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his<br />
brother is a liar. The one who doesn’t love the<br />
brother whom he has seen can’t love a God<br />
whom he hasn’t seen” (1 John 4:20).<br />
And so Jesus tells Peter that his pronouncement<br />
is not enough. Peter must show how much<br />
he loves his Lord by humble service to others in<br />
his name.<br />
Love God. Love others. This is the Great<br />
Commandment in a nutshell.<br />
Farewell sloppy agape!<br />
David Alan Black, Ph.D.<br />
(’75, M.Div. ’80)<br />
is professor of New Testament and Greek<br />
at Southeastern Baptist Theological<br />
Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. He holds a B.A.<br />
from <strong>Biola</strong>; an M.Div. from <strong>Biola</strong>’s seminary,<br />
Talbot School of Theology; and a D.Theol. from the<br />
<strong>University</strong> of Basel in Switzerland. He taught Greek<br />
classes at <strong>Biola</strong> from 1976 to 1998. He also edits<br />
www.daveblackonline.com.
Sloppy Agape<br />
Traditionally, John 21:15-17 has been a<br />
rich source of what Bible scholars call<br />
“eisegesis” — reading into the text<br />
something the text itself does not<br />
contain.<br />
Some faulty translations of this passage are<br />
based on the two different Greek verbs for<br />
“love” that the author, John, uses when recording<br />
a dialogue between the resurrected Jesus and<br />
Peter. Jesus asks Peter two times, “Do you love<br />
me,” using the verb agapao both times (vv. 15,<br />
16). Peter responds, “I love you,” using phileo<br />
both times. The third time Jesus asks Peter the<br />
question, however, Jesus uses the verb phileo, as<br />
does Peter in his response (v. 17).<br />
It is often argued that agapao signifies a<br />
higher form of love — divine, selfless, altruistic.<br />
However, the most Peter will claim for his love of<br />
Jesus is phileo love — friendship love. Such a<br />
reading of this passage probably accounts for the<br />
distinction the New International Version<br />
makes in its translation, rendering “truly love”<br />
for agapao, and “love” for phileo.<br />
But this translation cannot be. In the<br />
first place, it is John’s writing style to use the<br />
verbs agapao and phileo interchangeably,<br />
without any distinction in meaning. Thus, the<br />
expression “the disciple whom Jesus kept on<br />
loving” can be based on either verb (John<br />
19:26; 20:2). Again, when John states that<br />
the Father “loves the Son,” both verbs are<br />
used (John 15:9; 5:20). Even in verse 17 of the<br />
exchange between Jesus and Peter, John uses<br />
two different Greek verbs for “know” without<br />
any difference in meaning — “Lord you know<br />
all things; you know that I love you.”<br />
Second, Peter could hardly answer, “Yes,<br />
Lord, I love you” if, in fact, he actually meant<br />
“No, Lord, I only like you as a friend.”<br />
Finally, it is clear that Peter got upset, not<br />
because Jesus changed his verb in the third<br />
question, but because Jesus asked him the same<br />
question three times — an obvious allusion to<br />
Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus.<br />
If this passage is not about the two Greek<br />
words for “love,” then what does it teach? Two<br />
simple, but profound, truths.<br />
The first is this: What the Lord Jesus Christ<br />
is looking for in his disciples — in Peter, in John,<br />
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39<br />
and in us today — is our love above everything<br />
else. We may think we can impress him with<br />
our knowledge, accomplishments or bank<br />
accounts. But if the risen Lord were to do a<br />
heart examination on each one of us today, he<br />
would ask us one question: “Do you love me?<br />
Do you love me? Do you love me?” Hence the<br />
priority of love in the New Testament (see Gal.<br />
5:22; 1 Cor. 13:13; Rev. 2:4).<br />
But is it enough to say the words “I love<br />
you”? I’m sure the Lord enjoys hearing these<br />
words from his dear children, just as we do from<br />
ours. Yet it is all too easy to become enamored<br />
with words and fail to back them up with actions.<br />
And that is the second great truth in our<br />
passage. Jesus is saying that the best way to<br />
prove that we love him is by taking care of his<br />
people. As he tells Peter, if you love me, then<br />
“Feed my lambs” and “Take care of my sheep”<br />
(vv. 15, 16, 18).<br />
This is the same “Love Triangle” that we see<br />
in another of John’s books, 1 John. There, John<br />
writes, “Whoever says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his<br />
brother is a liar. The one who doesn’t love the<br />
brother whom he has seen can’t love a God<br />
whom he hasn’t seen” (1 John 4:20).<br />
And so Jesus tells Peter that his pronouncement<br />
is not enough. Peter must show how much<br />
he loves his Lord by humble service to others in<br />
his name.<br />
Love God. Love others. This is the Great<br />
Commandment in a nutshell.<br />
Farewell sloppy agape!<br />
David Alan Black, Ph.D.<br />
(’75, M.Div. ’80)<br />
is professor of New Testament and Greek<br />
at Southeastern Baptist Theological<br />
Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. He holds a B.A.<br />
from <strong>Biola</strong>; an M.Div. from <strong>Biola</strong>’s seminary,<br />
Talbot School of Theology; and a D.Theol. from the<br />
<strong>University</strong> of Basel in Switzerland. He taught Greek<br />
classes at <strong>Biola</strong> from 1976 to 1998. He also edits<br />
www.daveblackonline.com.